I went to Vietnam in 2017 and fell in love with the place - this beautiful novel explores their tragic history in the 20th century. This multi generational tale benefits immensely from the author also being a skilful poet, the way this novel is crafted draws you in and absorbs you fully in the imagery, emotion and pace.

At the core, we have a family of immensely strong women. From grandmother, to mother, to daughter, they each have their own history and trauma and their relationships are tested continuously. But they do not break.

Tran Dieu Lan’s family lost everything after the Communist government came to power in North Vietnam in the early twentieth century. As a result of Land Reform, she was forced to flee with her six children. We switch between the grandmother's story and the grandaughter's story, the characters are the same but older, for the most part. The trauma and damage experienced in one era plays into the next. Huong watches her parents disappear down the Ho Chi Minh Trail to fight and the fall out from that is heartbreaking. She remains with her grandmother and together they survive bombing and everything else life throws at them.

The author bravely shares details that may have been lost in the history books over time but are still shared through generations of families.

“We’re forbidden to talk about events that relate to past mistakes or the wrongdoing of those in power, for they give themselves the right to rewrite history."

I am so glad to have read this novel. I feel educated and humbled. To think of the repeated trauma the Vietnamese people have been through in such recent times, the strength and resilience they have shown is truly humbling. I hope this novel gets the acclaim it deserves for bringing awareness of such an important historical era to the fore.

Published on August 20th 2020, thank you to @netgalley and @oneworldpublishers for the opportunity to review.

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This book is so beautifully written, bringing to life the heart breaking history of Vietnam. I loved the use of the traditional proverbs and how they fit into the story. I didn’t know much about the history of Vietnam but this has made me read up on the wars and the great famine.
Highly recommended.