Que Mai Phan Nguyen’s debut novel, The Mountains Sing, is a breathtakingly beautiful and moving tale of a Vietnamese family’s harrowing experiences before, during, and after the Vietnam War. Through the perspectives of elderly grandmother Dioung, her daughter Huong, and her granddaughter Mien, the story follows the Nguyen family as they endure three decades of catastrophic suffering.
The Mountains Sing is set in Thủ Dầu Một, a small town outside of Saigon, in the 20th century. Dioung is a widow and a rice farmer who lives in the mountains. Her daughter Huong is suffering from PTSD after enduring the turmoil of the war and losing a husband and son. Huong's daughter, Mien, is determined to make a better life for herself and her family in the aftermath of the war.
The Mountains Sing offers a powerful and accurate depiction of what life was like during and after the Vietnam War. The characters are surrounded by violence, exhaustion, turmoil, and terror. Nguyen vividly portrays the lives of the Nguyen family, delving deep into their thoughts, dreams, and struggles. The reader feels a great sense of empathy for Dioung and Huong, whose love for each other and for the mountains is the cornerstone of their survival. The reader also connects with—even cheers for—Mien, who struggles with her identity as a Vietnamese-American and with challenges in the aftermath of the war.
At the heart of The Mountains Sing is an unflinching exploration of the adversity faced by the Vietnam War’s survivors as they try to rebuild their lives. Nguyen’s vivid imagery of the cruelties of war shatter any preconceived notions of the ease with which one can recover from its devastation. Through her stirring prose, Nguyen conveys the trauma, heartbreak, and wounds of her characters which linger long after the war’s official end.
The novel also highlights the power of resilience, of new beginnings and of re-discovering one’s identity in the wake of such extreme adversity. Nguyen draws beautiful parallels between the resilience of the mountains and of the Nguyen family, and her passionate prose transports the reader to Vietnam. The reader will find themselves deeply moved by this novel, as it follows an unforgettable family in an extraordinary time.
The Mountains Sing is a beautiful and inspiring story of resilience and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The Nguyen family’s struggles are at times heartbreaking, but ultimately, their strength and determination to persevere shine through. Que Mai Phan Nguyen paints a vibrant, compelling picture of the Vietnam War, and her beautiful, poetic prose will stay with the reader for a long time. The Mountains Sing is an unforgettable story that will move and inspire anyone who takes the time to pick it up.
