This book is about the life of a Vietnamese family from 1920 to the 1970s. It is told alternately by Huong, the granddaughter, and Dieu Lang her grandmother, the latter being the real heroine of the family Trän. She fought all her life to protect her family. At the same time she embodies the courage, strength and resilience of the Vietnamese women during all the tragedies that befell the country in the 20th century.
Generally the books dedicated to the Vietnam war present the western point of view of events. This historical fiction is an authentic “report” of the hardships that the Vietnamese had to go through but from a Vietnamese point of view. The country and its inhabitants had to endure the Great Famine, the invasion of the French and of the Japanese, and later on the heartbreaking split of their country in two, as the communist government rose to power in North Vietnam, imposing the Land Reform with tragic consequences for the people and their families…And finally the resulting international conflict with the USA.
The author uses a wonderful lyrical and poetic language to describe the scenic and beautiful nature of Vietnam, language that is the reflection of the culture and the traditions still present in the country. I personally enjoyed all the proverbs in the original language embedded everywhere in the conversations between the protagonists. I liked the fact that they showed so much respect for the ancestors whose pictures have “pride of place” in the people’s home’s. We learn a lot about traditional customs practised at funerals, weddings etc..
For me it is a wonderful and poignant story of love, hope and perseverance in a family whose matriarchal figure had to fight all her life to survive and to keep her family united
Interestingly, Dieu Lan explains to her granddaughter that “she will not find anything about the Land Reform or the internal fighting in the schoolbook because all this has been erased: we are forbidden to talk about events that relate to the past mistakes or the wrongdoings of those in power but everything will stay in people’s memories”
Our group really appreciated this eye-opener of a book.
Paulette
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