The Mountains Sing: A Novel by Que Mai Phan Nguyen

Tucson Blue Hair: "The Mountains Sing" is a multigenerational tale of the impact the Viet Nam war had upon the Vietnamese people. I recommend this book to all Americans who spent their youth and mid-life during the years of the War, when we were not told much about the Vietnamese people through news outlets. Although it is a heartbreaking story, it is also full of hope and love. You will see history and the Vietnamese people a lot differently when you finish this book.

United States on Nov 08, 2023

Book Buyer in Boston: Engaging, heartbreaking, and wonderful.

United States on Oct 24, 2023

Cao Trac: Is it great literature writing? Perhaps not. Is it a highly personal and moving account of how a war can ruin a family? Definitely yes. This is a highly personal book that is largely authentic and I do admire the author’s courage for sharing the story. Yes, it has been modernised and written for the current world but this should not distract the readers from the essence of the book.

The Land Reform was such a disastrous policy that in the end Ho chi Minh had to apologise to his people. This book brings a personal dimension to the horrors of this period that allows the readers to have a real connection to the whole fiasco. As for family being torn apart because of the war, it was quite common and the author did a great job in bringing this matter to life.

Highly recommended.

Australia on Oct 08, 2023

Christine Black: I knew very little about Vietnam outside of the stories told by my veteran father. This novel is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Reading history through the eyes of women is a wonderful experience and I highly recommend reading this book!

United States on Sep 28, 2023

Lana Leung: This book was so beautifully written, it was poetic at times! It is rich with culture and history. It was an eye opening heartfelt read. I think everyone should read this book! Prior to reading this I didn't know too much about the Vietnamese war or Vietnamese history but now I have had a glimpse and am eager to read more about it and educate myself. I was very emotionally invested in this story all the way until the end. I will definitely check out other books written by this author.

United States on Sep 15, 2023

Irfan: This novel is outstanding. That tells the story of Grandmother how she protected her family from different adversity and how she survived at very inhumane condition. In short story tells One of Reasonable purpose of Life, is to live life for you family, to protect your family, and to accept all the negative and positive things in the life and move on.

India on Aug 29, 2023

Nivedita DhankharNivedita Dhankhar: "The Mountains Sing" is an exquisite symphony of storytelling. Nguyen Phan Que Mai crafts a poignant multigenerational saga that echoes the resilience of the Vietnamese people amidst war and upheaval. The narrative's alternating voices create a harmonious blend of past and present, offering a vivid portrayal of love, loss, and hope. Mai's prose is like a lyrical journey through history, painting landscapes and emotions with vivid strokes. If you're seeking a profound exploration of family, identity, and the enduring spirit of a nation, this novel is a must-read. Prepare to be moved by its melodies long after the final page. 📚🎶

India on Aug 14, 2023

M.B: Reçu rapidement bien emballé

France on Jul 02, 2023

Anuradha GuptaAnuradha Gupta: Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of their cultures, there would be no war on Earth.

Ever wondered how blessed you are? To sit in your own house, lie down on your bed, and have this mobile or laptop on which you are reading my blog? I do a lot. I think a lot. I shiver when I think about how terrible it must be to live somewhere where the wheezing of the bomb puts you to sleep instead of their mother’s lullaby, how going out of the house means that it might be the last time you see your loved ones, how you must live on the edge, ready to evacuate the house, the land, the city, the country of your ancestors at the drop of a hat (or a bomb) I think a lot. And I feel grateful for the life I have despite its many problems that seem unsolvable to me. And I feel blessed, to have everything that I have been given.
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai is a heart-rendering journey of a young girl and her grandmother, through the Land Reform of decades ago, through the Viet Nam War, and through the years of turmoil that has riddled their beloved country and its people.

As silence befell their area, Huong and her...

India on Jun 05, 2021

Hugh Murray: I rarely read fiction,preferring works of history. Yet, even when I taught History, I was aware of what readers could learn from novels and in the first half of the American History course, assigned the Great American Novel, Huckleberry Finn. One acquires knowledge of mid-19th century America almost unawares, while laughing at the antics of the characters.

The Mountains Sing is not funny, but I learned much from it. For example, I had read and heard the simple phrase “land reform” over decades in hundreds of books, newspaper articles, TV news shows, and documentaries. Stalin's collectivization of agriculture and mistreatment of kulaks in the Ukraine did present a negative impression, but that was long ago and now everyone concedes that Stalin had made some mistakes. Just after WWII, Mao's civil war against Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek was interpreted as a disagreement over Mao's desire to achieve land reform, or so many thought at that time. Land reforms in Rhodesia and more recently in South Africa meant snatching farms from whites to give to Blacks, but that was viewed as a continuation of the continent's de-colonization. A more recent television serial...

United States on May 07, 2020