augie_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death, and Abortion
bookthia's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Very good. Interweaving stories of people who lived and survived the Vietnam war. I had small quibbles with some of the character development but the story itself was excellent. I listened on audio deliberately to hear the Vietnamese words spoken properly and I am so glad I did. The narration was wonderful. Two Vietnamese sisters move from the country to Saigon to help their parents pay off debts and get swept up in the sex trade that took hold when American soldiers came. One sister falls in love with a soldier and becomes pregnant with his child. Many years later, after the war, the soldier and his wife return to Vietnam to find his child. But the story digs deep into the various traumas and hardships experienced by the Vietnamese, and to a smaller extent, to Americans.
As someone who has been privileged to have recently travelled in Vietnam, it was fascinating to be familiar with some of the locations used in the novel.
Recommend.
As someone who has been privileged to have recently travelled in Vietnam, it was fascinating to be familiar with some of the locations used in the novel.
Recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, War, Car accident, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape
maidinnah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
A thoughtful, nuanced, and empathetic account of the Vietnam war through the intertwining storylines of a Vietnamese prostitute, an American veteran, and an Amerasian “dust child”. This stirring tale explores the fallout — the broken families, the mutual resentments, the haunting secrets — and calls forth tremendous amounts of forgiveness from every side. Quê Mai Nguyễn reminds us that we may not be able to heal every wound when the dust settles, but peace can still be found when we move forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Self harm
cyborgforty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The last chapters stunned me. I did not expect the book to end the way it did at all. I thought the book was leading up to a brutally honest closure—I thought that would have been well done, and well reflective of real experiences and real trauma. But
The pacing, the journey through time, the gradual revelation of everything known (and acceptance of what remains unknown) is incredible. So much of the story revolves around the lies that characters tell each other, the truths they hide from each other, which despite each character's growth is clear until the very end. I was shocked at how differently I could perceive the same character, through different perspectives or at different points in time. Quynh and Dan especially.
Although I didn't find the prose to be the strongest part of the novel, I was taken by several lines immersed by how the text flowed between languages. The dialogue is mostly in English, but I found myself translating in my head what I think the character would have said in Vietnamese, or imagining how the character would have pronounced English words with their accent (Nguyen has a clever way of conveying this). I didn't learn many Vietnamese proverbs from my family and having them come up so often within the text was very enlightening for me, expressing sentiments that felt very familiar even if I'd never heard the words themselves.
Several times while reading this book, I thought, "oh, that's why [insert some Vietnamese linguistic/customary thing that I grew up with but never knew the reason why]." The depth Nguyen offers as a Vietnamese writer was particularly eye-opening for me, being American-born. I haven't read a lot of books set in Vietnam, or written by Vietnamese authors, much less a book that centers Vietnamese/American history in such a way.
Spoiler
the last chapter was as close to a fairy-tale ending as I could ever imagine coming out of a war.The pacing, the journey through time, the gradual revelation of everything known (and acceptance of what remains unknown) is incredible. So much of the story revolves around the lies that characters tell each other, the truths they hide from each other, which despite each character's growth is clear until the very end. I was shocked at how differently I could perceive the same character, through different perspectives or at different points in time. Quynh and Dan especially.
Although I didn't find the prose to be the strongest part of the novel, I was taken by several lines immersed by how the text flowed between languages. The dialogue is mostly in English, but I found myself translating in my head what I think the character would have said in Vietnamese, or imagining how the character would have pronounced English words with their accent (Nguyen has a clever way of conveying this). I didn't learn many Vietnamese proverbs from my family and having them come up so often within the text was very enlightening for me, expressing sentiments that felt very familiar even if I'd never heard the words themselves.
Several times while reading this book, I thought, "oh, that's why [insert some Vietnamese linguistic/customary thing that I grew up with but never knew the reason why]." The depth Nguyen offers as a Vietnamese writer was particularly eye-opening for me, being American-born. I haven't read a lot of books set in Vietnam, or written by Vietnamese authors, much less a book that centers Vietnamese/American history in such a way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
internationalreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was.. fine? It felt like a book written to teach Americans about the Vietnam war rather than to tell a story set in that time. Disappointing after loving The Mountains Sing so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual content
caillahess's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
Moderate: War
bookedbymadeline's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I was pulled in right away! I didn’t want to put it down but also wanted to slow down so could savor the story. Beautiful writing once again from the author (I read and loved her debut last year). I’m a sucker for multiple timelines and POVs so this did not disappoint!
I also really liked the complex characters and their relationships. I learned a lot about pieces of history during/following the Vietnam War, which I always enjoy learning something new!
I was pulled in right away! I didn’t want to put it down but also wanted to slow down so could savor the story. Beautiful writing once again from the author (I read and loved her debut last year). I’m a sucker for multiple timelines and POVs so this did not disappoint!
I also really liked the complex characters and their relationships. I learned a lot about pieces of history during/following the Vietnam War, which I always enjoy learning something new!
If you read this, grab tissues for last 25% 😭 I sobbed and was a wreck for the rest of the night and following day. This was a very hopeful and emotional read.
Fantastic novel that I loved even more than her debut! Will 100% be my favorite for the month and Que Mai is officially an auto buy author 💗
If my last read, Cecily, didn’t already have me in a mini slump I’m definitely in one now 😳 WHAT BOOK CAN FOLLOW THIS?! (This will also be my next “book to push into everyone’s hands”/go to recommendation)
If my last read, Cecily, didn’t already have me in a mini slump I’m definitely in one now 😳 WHAT BOOK CAN FOLLOW THIS?! (This will also be my next “book to push into everyone’s hands”/go to recommendation)
TW/CW: racism, war, infertility (brief mention), PTSD, sexual content, death, grief, sexual assault, infidelity, racial slurs, alcoholism, violence, emotional abuse, vomit (brief), abandonment, pregnancy, Alzheimer’s (brief), child death, self harm (brief)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Alcoholism, Racism, Racial slurs, War, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Child death
Minor: Infertility, Self harm, Dementia, and Vomit
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