Hương, a young girl, narrates the Vietnam War through her family's story, as does her grandmother Diệu Lan, who in the 1950s flees land reform in the north with her children. Hương grows up in Hanoi during the American bombing, and her grandmother's story reveals her struggle to protect her family from famine, violence and political upheaval. The chapters alternate between the two, building a multigenerational portrait of Vietnam seen from the Vietnamese side of the war.
Good for readers interested in Vietnam's twentieth-century history and in family sagas told from women's perspectives. It brings war and its aftermath to life through ordinary people, and suits those looking for different perspectives on a familiar conflict.
Balanced in tone; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
