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srjennings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
4.5
A beautiful, though often painful, story of 3 generations of women that shows the ongoing impact of war, abuse, and other trauma. Despite secrets, brokenness, and dysfunction they find healing in themselves and in their relationships to one another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
kquixotic's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A pleasant read with moments of intrigue, most of which never quite scratched the itch for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Racism and Death of parent
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a heavy book. None of the generations seem to experience a lot of happiness overall. However, it is a beautiful treatise on the impact of war in terms of generational trauma.
- We didn't need Noah. He detracted from the story and felt like a "oh we better put in a male character" add in.
- A lot of the metaphors or similes felt forced, like they were shoe-horned in later to make the prose feel more formal.
- The part where a Vietnamese woman deciding that her making assumptions about a white man is the same as a white man fetishizing her was disturbing.
- We didn't need Noah. He detracted from the story and felt like a "oh we better put in a male character" add in.
- A lot of the metaphors or similes felt forced, like they were shoe-horned in later to make the prose feel more formal.
- The part where a Vietnamese woman deciding that her making assumptions about a white man is the same as a white man fetishizing her was disturbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and War
annamay1021's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Racism
Intergenerational traumabookishcori's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Phenomenal. This shot straight to my top reads thus far.
Set in a crumbling mansion, the Banyan House, we follow three generations of women - Minh, Hương and Ann - from Minh as a young girl in Vietnam to present day as Hương and Ann grapple with Minh’s death. Weaving all their stories together with impeccable prose.
This is about mothers and daughters. Secrets and the unspokens. Inheritance and legacies. Ghosts and past mistakes. And ultimately, finding your own path.
This isn’t out until June [in the US], but definitely get on your radar if you enjoy intergenerational stories, atmospheric vibes, and strong, imperfect women.
An incredible debut.
Set in a crumbling mansion, the Banyan House, we follow three generations of women - Minh, Hương and Ann - from Minh as a young girl in Vietnam to present day as Hương and Ann grapple with Minh’s death. Weaving all their stories together with impeccable prose.
This is about mothers and daughters. Secrets and the unspokens. Inheritance and legacies. Ghosts and past mistakes. And ultimately, finding your own path.
This isn’t out until June [in the US], but definitely get on your radar if you enjoy intergenerational stories, atmospheric vibes, and strong, imperfect women.
An incredible debut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and War
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