Based on the style of writing and the imagery evoked by this talented storyteller, I am moved to learn more about this period of warfare history. Now more than ever, cultural literacy has to become a way of life--normative. And this book achieves wonder in that regard. The very way the book opens, with the sun as a "yellow egg yolk" will stay with me forever and draw me deeper into foreign landscapes, events and narratives of the past.

A Vietnamese family tale spanning the 2oth century. A story of survival, perseverance, and resilience. The Tran family lives through the French colonization, WWII and the Japanese occupation, the communist takeover, the division of the country, the land reform and its atrocities, the Vietnam War, the inhumane communist re-education, and the post war years. Through all of it we learn how hope and kindness allows the human spirit to survive great adversity. The book uses poetic and vivid language not just to tell the story of the Tran family but also Vietnamese customs and traditions. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Algonquin Books for the advanced copy.

I so appreciate this book about a family in Vietnam. With #Panchinko vibes this is a story about a family who had to flee the family farm with six children as the Communist government rises to power. It is beautiful and lyrical and gripping! All the makings of a great story, while pulling on your heartstrings! 

IG: need.more_books_more.jesus

It is rare to read a book and realize quickly that you have been given the privilege of sharing a painful and personal story.  Such is the case with The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.  While the book is based partially on her own experiences as a child born during the Việt Nam War, it is also built on countless interviews of the survivors of a war that lasted 45 years.

Nguyễn draws the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters so that you understand the story from the perspective of the Vietnamese people and specifically the Trần family .  Some novels are atmospheric in terms of geographic setting.  This story takes you through the devastating and long-term effects of extreme ideologies, civil war, and the turmoil that rips apart not only countries but families.  The Vietnamese people’s beliefs in traditional proverbs and connection to generations is woven  in a lyrical prose that connects the four generations of the family and unfolds their history with each other and their country.

“If our stories survive, we will not die, even when our bodies are no longer here on this earth.”

The Mountains Sing is complex and hard to read at times as it deals with war, poverty, starvation, and references to a rape, but the themes of perseverance, resilience, hope, and sacrificial love outshine everything else.    Nguyễn has written a vivid, poignant, and deeply personal story that resonates with love of her family and country and reads more like a memoir than historical fiction.  While known for her poetry, in this debut novel the author shows herself as a master of her craft and an excellent storyteller.  The Mountains Sing is the stuff of Pulitzer Prizes and Booker Awards.

Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my review.

While I own a physical copy of The Mountains Sing, I actually listened to the audiobook of it that @dreamscape_media provided to me for free on @netgalley and I have to say, it was definitely the way to go.

I haven't read many books about the Viet Nam War but The Mountains Sing is a multigenerational novel that encompasses the Land Reform that happened prior to the war and then how the war itself tore many families apart. 

It's not an easy book by any means. It deals with a lot of tragic, horrific things that I'm surprised anyone could live through. But it also shows the strength of the Vietnamese people and how their culture and traditions are at the very fiber of their being. 

It's one that I would recommend to fans of Homegoing or Pachinko or anyone looking for a multigenerational story set in an often untold part of history. And if you have the chance, definitely listen to the audio. It set the atmosphere perfectly. 

4.5/5⭐️

I loved the experience of listening to this book but took a while to finish it and then start writing this review. This is a stellar historical fiction novel with beautiful writing, rich with Vietnamese language and culture. It's also very hard to read because it's set during several wars and depicts so many hardships of this family. If you are in the mood for a very somber and emotional story, definitely pick this one up.

This book is beautiful and heart wrenching. I have traveled throughout Vietnam, boated down the Mekong, spent time in Hanoi, traveled through the Cu Chi Tunnels, and wandered around Saignon (Ho Chi Minh City) and its breathtaking.  Listening to this book brought Vietnam to life, but not just the beauty that I saw but the ravages of war and how it destroys families.  This story is told in the point of view of a grandmother and her granddaughter as they recount their time and what they had to do to survive and help their family.  

The book takes place between the 1930's and more present day.  You could feel the struggle and love pouring through this book as it described the hardships, trials, heartbreak and the unknown of a family trying to survive as their country is torn apart from outside and within. You learn the devastating effects of the war on not only the men but generations afterward. This book is poetry disguised as a novel.  With many Vietnamese proverbs sprinkled throughout Quyen Ngo's reading of this story brought to life the rich culture of this country.  

After I finished I paused not sure whether I was sad or happy. This book brings you through so many emotions that it is hard to put your finger on just one.  I think in the end I will settle on gratitude.  Gratitude for this book being written and translated into English, and gratitude for netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and Dreamscape media for a copy of The Mountains Sing on audiobook for review. The Mountains Sing is a story of a Vietnamese family told through alternating viewpoints of a grandmother and her granddaughter. @nguyenphanquemai_ is an exquisite storyteller, following a family displaced by Land Reform and the rise of communism in Vietnam. It is a heart-wrenching and devastating story, a reminder of the people that are left behind in the wake of war. This is a story of the Vietnamese people and I appreciated that there was very little oxygen given to American culture in this particular book. I recommend this read to anyone that enjoys a lyrical and passionate story, People that love historical fiction will especially want to pick this up.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really great read, i did find it confusing at times when i forgot the stories switched over/who was talking, but great book

Honestly, just say the phrase “multigenerational narrative” and I am IN. This beautiful tale does not disappoint.

Our book follows Huong and her grandmother Tran Dieu Lan as they struggle in Vietnam during the upheaval of the 20th century. While Huong is coming of age during the horrors of the Vietnam War, her grandmother recounts her own devastating story of her young adulthood during the 1920s Land Reform. Both of these generations and the one in between are coming to terms with the ways their lives have changed over the decades and how to continue to push forward.

Talk about a paradigm shift! I’ve never been super knowledgeable about the Vietnam War (because it seemed like that’s where all our American History books stopped...) but I’d never truly thought about it from the view of the Vietnamese. I have such a deep sense of respect for everything they went through with the feuding governments, bombings, Agent Orange, and constant upheaval.

I loved getting to learn more about Vietnamese culture. I felt such a spirit of kinship with Huong as she listened to and worked alongside her grandmother. I’ve lost both of my grandmothers and my mother, all three I was very close with. I often think of them as still being with me and guiding me so the parts when Huong appeals to her ancestors were so beautiful to me.

I am so thankful to @netgalley for sending me this book to review. It’s for sure one of those books that will stick with me.

Placed in Vietnam, the story follows a grandmother and her granddaughter as they navigate two of the countries most turbulent eras. The grandmother, Tran Dieu Lan, tells her story during the 1950 Land Reform, when the government encouraged farmers to rise up against the land owning class. The granddaughter, Huong, tells her experience  growing up with her parents fighting in the Vietnam war.

This sweeping, family saga explores all angles of loyalty, trauma, education and love. The changing perspectives read like a choir, each part unique, but blending into the whole. Reading this book felt like traveling Vietnam, and gave me a better understanding of the country’s history before the US invaded.

Tran Dieu Lan stood out to me as an astounding character. As a matriarch she had weathered many lifetimes worth of tragedy. Yet she still raises Huong will kindness and an open heart, always urging her and the village to strive beyond what they’re given.

Listening to this on audiobook was a treat as I was able to hear the actual Vietnamese pronunciations of names and phrases. But I wish I could have read this in a book club or buddy read.

3.25 stars I thought I had missed out on this audio book from waiting too long to download,  but was thrilled to discover that was not the case. And after listening to the audio version, narrated by the author, I have mixed thoughts. 

Most notably, this story was both a tragic and beautiful account of the hardships in Vietnam spanning through the 20th century. The plot used a dual timeline that focused on grandmother in the 1950’s  and granddaughter. In the 1970’s. Without going into too much detail, it explored several significant historical events that impacted the people of Vietnam including the great hunger, the land reform and the Vietnam war. 

I loved the vivid descriptions of Vietnam and the traditional proverbs spoken in Vietnamese language. The author has written several poetry books and the lyrical prose in this story reflected her talent with words. I also learned a vast amount of history about Vietnam and the bleak and harsh realities that people endured. Learning about the Vietnam war from the perspective of North Vietnam was eye opening. In some ways, this story reminded me of The Good Earth.

With so much to love about this historical fiction, I was surprised to find myself not as enthralled as I thought I would be. I think part of the reason was that the writing, although poetic and flowy, lacked a certain amount of character depth needed to pull me in fully. I felt removed from their lives and felt like I didn’t really know who they were as individuals. I also found the story a bit confusing as it jumped around between years and characters. And lastly, I’m not a fan of authors performing their own audiobooks. They often lack the wow factor in storytelling and sadly this performance was bland for my taste.

A gracious thank you from Netgalley and publisher for an advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.

The Mountains Sing is a beautifully written and narrated story about the multigeneration of the Trần family set during the Việt Nam War.  Trần Diệu Lan escaped her family farm with her six children, during the land reform and when the communists were trying to take over, so they weren't killed.  She had to do unthinkable things in order to help her children survive.  Years later, her granddaughter comes an adult as her family goes off to fight in the war.  The family drama and the country's political conflicts start dividing the family. 

I loved this story because it brought a different dimension to the Vietnamese families that I didn't know about during that time period.  It showed that family love and hope can win over political differences or resentment, even when pride and stubbornness get in the way.  It is worth repeating that it was beautifully written.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook for an honest review.

The Việt Nam War was brutal, devastating and long. The US fought on the side of the south in a war against the North and the Communists. I had never heard much about the Vietnamese people and their families. This book is a poignant, emotional and heartbreaking story of the Tran family. It starts in the early 1900s when the Japanese were in power and moves through the rise in communism in North VietNam, and then leading into the Việt Nam War.

Tran Dish Lan was the daughter of a farmer, murdered by the Japanese. She is a mother with six children and was totally unprepared for the results of the Land reform, as the Communist government rose to power in North Việt Nam. Her property is confiscated, and even though her employees stood up for her, she was forced to flee to save her life and that of her children. What she deals with as an outcast, a person being pursued by the government and someone with no job or money is heartbreaking. When we meet her again it is during the Việt Nam War. She is raising her granddaughter and trying to keep her safe, while her children have gone south to fight in the war. Gradually they return home, but all with issues from things that happened to them in the war.

The writing is both poignant and beautiful. This is a beautiful country being torn apart by war. Their struggles, hopes and fears are shared in an honest and heartbreaking way. There are many who are cruel, but little kindnesses are vital to those just trying to survive. War and other tragic circumstances bring out the worst in people, but there are always those who defy the evil and show kindness to others, even putting themselves in danger. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Quyen Ngo and I loved her narration. Her tone, voice and expression were perfect for this story. The narration added to my enjoyment of this story. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, and if you can listen to the audiobook, I suggest you grab it.

Fantastic story!

I listed to this one for a couple of weeks and throughly enjoyed my experience. I really liked the narrator and I couple picture almost everything that was happening. Unfortunately, there were a couple of parts where I got confused, but I quickly oriented myself back into the story.

The story itself is engaging and full of twists, heartbreak, family, and more. I eagerly anticipated every chapter as I watched the story unfold.

Next, I loved the characters. I felt an immediate connection to all of them and was rooting for them the entire time. 

Lastly, I highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction!

This was a beautiful sweeping story about multiple generations of a family in Vietnam centered around the Vietnam War.  The story reaches back to the 1940's at a time when the Japanese had invaded Vietnam.   During this time, a well-off mother flees her family farm with her 6 children to escape the violence caused by the communist Land Reform.   The story then jumps to her granddaughter during the years of the Viet Nam war. 

In turns touching and heartbreaking, this is an important #ownvoices story about the experience of Vietnamese women during the war.   This is the author's first novel available in English and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more works by her.  

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was engaging and emotive.   The narration was nicely paced with great sound quality.

4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5

"If people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth."

I really, really enjoyed this book, but I wish I would have read it instead of listened to it as I think it would have been more impactful. The narrator is great, but it's the kind of book you really want to focus on, which isn't as easy for me when I'm listening. If you're not a great audiobook listener, I recommend picking this book up to read instead. 

The Mountains Sing is a multigenerational story that takes place before and during the Vietnam War with dual timelines: We learn about Trần Diệu Lan's childhood and follow along with her in the 1950s as she's forced to flee her home with her 6 children. We also follow her granddaughter Hủỏng in the 1970s as her family is torn apart by the war.

It's a story that's filled with tragedy and heartbreak, but there's also a lot of hope in it... and most importantly, the power of family. Wartime stories are never easy reads and this one feels even harder as it's told from the points of view of the everyday people seriously impacted by the war.

While I do wish I would have read the actual book, I do have to say there are a few big benefits to the audio version. For me, I felt like I was being transported to Vietnam and like I was actually there with Tran and Hủỏng. I also really liked that I was actually hearing how names and places were pronounced. If I had been reading the book, I wouldn't  have been saying everything correctly in my head. I found the narration slightly confusing as the story is entirely told by Hủỏng and occasionally I forgot whose story was being told.

The quote I started with really says it all... We need more books like this so we can understand the impact war has on everyone and to have more empathy for people who aren't exactly like us.

This was an ambitious and impressive novel that covers a lot of little known history of Vietnam from a first person point of view. I listened to the audio book and loved the narration and authenticity of the reader who spoke Vietnamese phrases perfectly. The novel is told from alternating points of view of Tran Dieu and Huong (her grand-daughter). It spans many decades and tells the story of horrific historical events as they affected this family throughout the years. We see many different incidents through the eyes of the characters. The author does a wonderful job of evoking the different settings for the reader as well as bringing to life different characters we meet. The suffering endured by Tran Dieu and her family is truly heart-breaking and I couldn't help but ask, "when will the sorrow end?"; however, ultimately the novel is one of love and hope. The strength that keeps Tran Dieu moving forward in life is fueled by her love for her children and family. She faces hardships and heartbreaks and yet has no bitterness or hatred in her heart. I thought this was a beautiful story with memorable, strong female characters.

Having read and loved this amazing novel last spring, I was anxious to visit again by listening to the audio book. It enhanced my reading experience by giving a voice to the characters that populate this powerful generational story of the Tran family. Lyrical prose filled with images that will forever stay with me opened my mind and heart to lives vastly different from my own, but then again, not so different. The human experience is common among cultures for placing family, love, eternal hopefulness, spiritual beliefs and cultural traditions at the center of our lives. The Tran family experiences horrific tragedies but throughout their lives, love and hope and the strength of the family matriarch carry them through. Nguyen Phan Que Mai has written a captivating story and it was enhanced by being narrated by Quyen Ngo. I was terribly disappointed that the "The Mountains Sing" did not appear on the NYT times 100 Notable Books for 2020. It should have! This book would make an excellent book club selection with plenty to talk about. I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to the audio book.

Haunting and beautiful. I listened to this, thanks to NetGalley, and am grateful that I had this opportunity to hear the Vietnamese spoken. It took me a bit to fall into the rhythm of the story since I couldn’t flip back and forth and realign myself with whose part of the story I was in. I was blown away from the inside view of the impact of the Vietnam War and of the lasting effects. The way families were divided and members of communities were hunted down and murdered. I’m also in complete shock as to how one family was separated far and wide and somehow found their way back to one another. This is a story or resilience and love.