The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of
the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan,
who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children
during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years
later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents
and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore
apart not just her beloved country, but also her family.
Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and
traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of
this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while
showing us the true power of kindness and hope.
My Thoughts
Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains
Sing, presents a disturbingly beautiful tale of resilience, endurance and grit
set in the backdrop of the Vietnamese War. It closely follows the story of Dieu
Lan (grandmother) and Huong (granddaughter) who stick together and support each
other as they survive in the midst of bombs, wars, hunger and the pain that has
been passed from the past.
This book takes us to Vietnam and its little streets.
Then to the hearts of the people who have lived there through the characters. The
grandmother, born into a wealthy family in early 1900s is educated and mostly untouched
by the cruelties of life until the war and Land Reform Act hits her. She is
forced to take a few difficult decisions as a mother. Then she struggles to bring up her children as
single parent. Huong, on the other hand, has been snatched away from the carefree
childhood due to the outbreak of wars. Her life is never easy. Yet she holds on
to innocence. The author makes us empathize with each of the several characters
and we feel numb. Yes, numb is the right word. Wars may end. But the sufferings
it brings alongside may never end. For instance, the impact of Agent Orange is
still there, passed on from generations.
This is a wonderful story of humanity also and I
highly recommend this book.
Hi! Gone through the write-up about the book. And it created a special liking for it. An interesting review.
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