Reviews

The Mountains Sing, by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

nizz_xo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

apantaleo345's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

brgntteva's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

sammyfitz's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

devastatingly truthful history of Vietnam through a family’s experience

atran122's review against another edition

4.0

3.65/5 rounded up.

I really wanted to like this book. I love generational books, and I was excited to find one set in Vietnam.

I can't really explain why this book didn't do it for me. The writing was fine as was the plot, but I think the way the story was told (the order of events) made it harder for me to stay connected to the characters. There were definitely moments that hit hard and had me quickly turning pages to see what would happen next, but overall, it was just okay for me.

amy_reads91's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

booktalkwithkarla's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A multigenerational tale of the Tran family, this book is poetic and informative about the Viet Nam War. The author essay at the end of the book explains the origin of the story. Set in wartime, The Mountains Sing explores the impact of war and the power of kindness from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves.

Nguyen Phan Que Mai is a poet and has written many books. This is her first novel to be written in English. She writes beautifully about complicated situations and relationships. Two examples are “My mother was like a tree uprooted,” and, “They surrounded her, becoming the soil of her life, demanding that she grow new roots.”

I read this in paperback in tandem with audio. Hearing the Vietnamese language alongside English was powerful. And I loved the culture and proverbs woven together with the story of a family and the Vietnamese people.  I  learned so much. I cared deeply for the Tran family. I recommend this book especially for book clubs for the rich discussions that will ensue. 

koenjanssen's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

bookishnookish's review

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

anneke_b's review against another edition

4.0

What a read! Makes me realize that I hardly know anything about the history of Vietnam, however, I think this book was a great start to get a bit more understanding of what happened.

Highly recommended!