A review by ontheoffbeat
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo

5.0

In the fourth volume of the Singing Hills Cycle, Nghi Vo takes us to the Cleric Chih’s home, the Singing Hills Abbey. Chih returns to the Abbey only to discover that their mentor, Cleric Thien, has died. What’s more, Cleric Thien’s biological descendants are threatening the remaining clerics if they don’t provide the body for a burial. Tensions arise from both outside and within the Abbey as those who are left behind grapple with their grief. Once again, Vo utilizes her skills in framing a story within a story, this time in the form of a funeral service for the deceased cleric. The novella tenderly displays how we may honor someone's life by telling stories. To tell stories is to keep the memory alive and the love present. Needless to say, I was moved to tears.