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A review by oceanwriter
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
I’m almost always up for a book centered on family drama. Banyan Moon brings this to the table with the extra layers of generational struggles and the differences brought on by being raised in different cultures.
When Minh passes away, her daughter Huong and granddaughter Ann come together to mourn their losses. For Huong, her mourning feels doubled, envious of the good relationship Ann had with Minh that she could never achieve. For Ann, she’s also mourning the seemingly perfect life she’d built that began to grumble simultaneously. Together, Ann and Huong strive to mend their own complicated relationship all while uncovering long-kept secrets that had been hiding in Minh’s house all along.
I found the book to be a slower pace than I like to read with my eyes. I think I would have gotten more out of it had I listened to the audiobook. Having already purchased the hardcover and long waits at the library I pushed through. Minh was definitely the most interesting part of the story for me. I also very much enjoyed the complicated relationships between the three women.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, and Murder