Excellent historical fiction. Great compelling read and one I know patrons will enjoy. The audio book was also a very easy listen.

The Mountains Sing is a beautiful and heartfelt novel of a family over time in Vietnam. It's set against the backdrop of the famine of 1945, the Communist government's rise, the Land Reform, and war.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel (and the author's first in English). Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai crafted a sweeping narrative that not only sustained my attention throughout, but had me wanting to return to the characters when I'd set the book down.

At times the ideas expressed felt a bit overly sentimental, but I think that's by design, and perhaps appropriate of a 12-year-old girl as narrator. In other parts, Quế Mai succinctly wrote of great complexities and deftly demonstrated the impacts of generational trauma.

What, more than anything stands out to me: She wrote of horrors with such compassion.

I largely listened to The Mountains Sing and thought the audiobook narration by Quyen Ngo was great. While I cannot speak to the accuracy of her pronunciation of Vietnamese words, I appreciated hearing them rather than attempting to sound them out myself.

"Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth."

The Mountains Sing is a riveting novel about a multi-generational Vietnamese family that survives through French and Japanese occupations, the Great Hunger, the first Indochina War, the Great Reform, and the Viet Nam war. It is a story of about survival, the devastation of war, resilience, and humanity. It is hard to describe this book, but a few words that come to mind are powerful, devastating,

Told through dual timelines, The Mountains Sings spans most of the twentieth century centering on the current matriarch of the Tran family and her granddaughter. The dual timelines ended up having the same voice although they were two different people's stories. This is one of the only flaws I found. I chalk this up to the fact that the book is being told by the granddaughter, including the story of her grandmother which was recited to her.

The Mountains Sing reminded me of Pachinko but did not quite pull on my heart strings the same way. I chalk this up to the writing, which was otherwise beautiful. Now, that is not to say that The Mountains Sing is not a fantastic and important book. I feel privileged to have read this novel that was compiled from real stories of Vietnamese families. The Mountains Sing has driven me to learn more about the Vietnam War, as we know it, and the experience of the Vietnamese people. Nguyễn has gifted us the a story so often only known from the American side and given it cultural authenticity from those who endured this catastrophic war. I do not want to make it sound like this book is totally about the Vietnam war, because it is not. It is really the story of those left waiting at home and surviving every day in turbulent times.

For me, The Mountains Sing was particularly poignant in the here and now as our country abandons Afghanistan in ruins after 20 years of war. Everyone should read The Mountains Sing to better understand the inherit the trauma of war - on a land, a culture, and a people.

Overall, I loved The Mountains Sing and its story really touched me. I highly recommend it, particularly to Americans. I look forward to future novels, whether translations or written in English, by Nguyễn.

Audiobook-specific review: I ended up reading the written version as I had issues with the narration of the audiobook. Specifically, the narrator reads at a pace that fluctuates as does the volume of her voice. This made it difficult to maintain a consistent speed and volume, especially if you are doing other things while listening to the audiobook.

History was my favorite subject throughout school, and the Vietnam war has always held more interest to me than most other wartime history has. Generally, we are seeing these times from an American perspective from American storytellers, but The Mountains Sing gives us a a multi-generational story if a Vietnamese family from the 30’s through to today. Extraordinary storytelling and one I’ll be recommending to many. Thank you!

This novel tells the story of a Vietnamese family across decades from the 1920's until the present. It is shown through the prism of national events, from the time of the French occupation through the famine and time of starvation, through the civil war that torn the country apart for years and the land reform that tore people from their lands and sent them fleeing as refugees.
The main character is Tran Dieu Lan. She is married with six children when her world falls apart. Her husband goes off to fight the war. She gives up her job as a teacher in order to become a trader of food and goods, an occupation frowned on by the government. When land reform comes and each village is given a quota of land owners to execute, she manages to flee her village and take off with her children to walk the many miles to Hanoi. On that trip, which takes months, she has to leave her children behind with various organizations and individuals that claim they will take care of each child. She makes it to Hanoi and eventually manages to set up a household there with her youngest child and go back to reclaim her children.

The story picks up through the voice of her granddaughter, Hu'o'ng. She is left with her grandmother when her parents, both doctors, are sent off to fight in the war. She sees the discord and bitterness her family is left with as various sides are chosen and brother fights brother. Some of her relatives return, some never do. Some come back unharmed physically while others are maimed or changed forever mentally.

This is an intricate work written in lyrical language. The author is a poet and that ability shines through in the narration. She portrays the people and viewpoints succinctly while pointing out the loyalty that family should engender. I listened to this book and the narrator was a welcome addition. The narration allowed me to hear the correct pronunciation of many of the words and names I would have mispronounced otherwise. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.

This historical fiction novel is beautifully written. The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai is about Vietnam's history, war, death, grief, suffering, injustices, sacrifices, racism, family, and survival. It is told in two different timelines. Tran Dieu Lan's story begins in 1930 and her granddaughter Huong in the 1970's.

I have not read about Vietnam as much as I would like. This book reminds me why it is important to learn more about its history. The two narrators share their family story of how they survived the Land Reform, the fighting between the North and the South and how generations have been affected by war. Among so much devastation and loss there is also goodness in the world. Human kindness and hope still exist.

I am so glad to have finally read this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio. Quyen Ngo narrated this book to perfection. Hearing the language, names and words pronounced correctly only added to the book's authenticity, giving more life to a story that already held my heart. A must read about love and sacrifice and the strength of the human spirit.

Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛

This is such a beautifully heartbreaking story! I love the characters in this multigenerational tale, but the writing really elevates The Mountains Sing to the next level. The author's lyrical prose makes this book hard to put down and make the story a captivating read.
The narrator and style was excellent and I highly recommend the audiobook version for this book.
Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC.

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⭐️

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.