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

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

    Gosh this book!❤️. Where do I even start from?. As I turned the last page of this book, I felt sad because it felt like saying goodbye to my new friends. That's how good this book is, I didn't want it to end.

   Told from the POV of Huong and her grandmother, and set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The mountains sing is a multigenerational tale of the Trân family and the effects of the war on them as individuals and as a family. Spanning through 45 years, this is a story of loss, pain, betrayal and hardship.

    This was a very heartbreaking read. Reading about the Great hunger, Land reform and the Vietnam war was very difficult and quite overwhelming . It was really sad to see how the people in power were ready to sacrifice millions of lives for their own selfish interests 😔. There is really no victor or vanquished in war.

   I really liked the fact that this book was written from a female perspective. Most books that center war are written by men and we do not get to read the effects of the war on women and children . This book perfectly explored the pain and loss they had to endure.

   My favorite character in this book is Grandma Trân Diệu Lan. She was resilient and did everything she could do to give her children a good life despite the fact that she lost everything. As a mother, she had to make a lot of near impossible decisions for the sake of her children. Her faith and hope despite everything she went through is really inspiring.

   Huong’s relationship with her grandma was really beautiful to read. We rarely read about children’s relationship with their grandparents and this one was so well done!.

   This is one historical fiction novel that will stay with me for a long time. I can imagine how much time the author spent researching and speaking to people to get their accounts of the Vietnam war. The infusion of  Vietnamese proverbs and culture was so well done and it brought the story to life. We need to write and tell our stories or other people will tell whatever version that suites them.

    Nguyễn’s writing is lyrical, poignant and stunning . Although ,this is a tale of pain and loss, it’s also a tale of victory and triumph and I’m glad I picked it up. I can’t wait to read her next novel “Dust Child” which will be released on 14th March, 2023.