Spanning three generations, three continents and almost ninety years this novel set in Việt Nam reckons with history and the impact of three extraordinary women.
 
In 1935 in the city of Nam Dinh in northern Việt Nam, Nhung, Mai, and Anh are inseparable and deeply loyal to each other. Growing up in vastly different worlds, yet united by their dreams, these three women navigate the treacherous French occupation, where even uttering "Việt Nam" becomes an act of rebellion.
 
Their lives soon diverge, sending each of their family lines down drastically different paths from Việt Nam to Paris to the United States. But their goals are the same: survive, thrive, and triumph over the adversities they and their homeland have endured. And while distance and time have separated them, their childhood bonds remain strong and the lives of their families will forever be entwined.
 
Inspired by the real history of the author's family and their immigration to the United States, The Three Daughters of Annam is an intimate examination of a country, colonized for most of its history, and its determination to be free.