A review by tvnguyen
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The perspective of the grandma and Huong (Guava) as they live through significant war-torn parts of Vietnamese history. I came into this book blind once again and did not expect the war crimes of the Vietnam War to hit me so hard. It was a really tough read but it is so well written. I got so emotional and entirely immersed in the fear, sadness, and lost of the family. I read one of the critic reviews of the book that mentions that this was the missing narrative of the war and I totally agree. 

This historical fiction hits really close to  home and to hear directly from a fictional family that has been affected represents so many families that actually experienced the aftermath of war. There is a lot going on in this book  so please tread lightly and take breaks if needed. But I highly recommend this novel! 
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