4 stars
“We didn’t perish that day, in November 1972. After the sirens had signaled that it was safe, Grandma and I emerged, shivering thin leaves. We staggered out to the street. Several buildings had collapsed, their rubble spilling onto our path.”
Hương lives in the midst of the Vietnam War. Her family has all gone to serve in the war except for her grandmother, Tran Dieu Lan, who takes care of her and protects her. Hương’s grandmother will do everything to keep her granddaughter alive. The Mountain Sings follow the story of a family and the pain that they have faced through the turmoil of Vietnam breaking apart. This is an intense and harrowing novel that leaves the horrifying decay of war on the reader’s palate. This novel’s song cry is that war is evil. It rips families and people apart. It turns people into monsters. This is a great historical exploration of the Vietnamese people and the wars, oppression, and Communism that they have faced by exploring three generations of a family. This is a beautiful novel steeped in emotional turmoil and the riches of storytelling. The grandmother’s story of being cursed to lose all her wealth and wander into a new city faraway is a beautiful way to bridge the gap between the generations. The writing leaves a phenomenal emotional punch and it is hands down what makes this novel so great. The writing is patient, but also brutally honest in portraying that war decimates people and families. There is something to enjoy in every chapter as well as be horrified by. This is a novel that will stick with the reader.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5
The main female characters are Hương and Tran Dieu Lan. Even though the novel does not specifically follow Dieu Lan’s point of view, her storytelling immerses the reader into understanding the horrors of the Communist Party and the Land Reform Movement. The Land Reform Movement is a harrowing moment in Vietnam history where the party went into villages with quotas to kill people who owned land. Dieu Lan happens to be a land owner with six children. She embarks on a harsh and rough journey to save her children and make it to the city of Hà Noi. In contrast, we follow Hương as she has to grow up in the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the sorrow of waiting for her parents and uncles to come back from the war. Both narratives have impactful and sorrowful stories bridged with hope and longing. However, the weakest aspect of this novel is Hương’s characterization. She doesn't feel fully fleshed out. She is steeped in immaturity for most of the novel (which is fine because she’s a child), but for a long time it does not seem like she is going to change or grow. She does change, but it doesn’t feel like her growth is fully realized and by the end of the novel I was left wanting more. The characterization in this novel overall leaves much to be desired.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5
The characters throughout are given storylines that expand through the novel, but are hindered by not being given enough pieces in the story to be fully fleshed out. I enjoyed following the different characters. My particular favorites were Uncle Dat, Hương’s mother, and Tam (Hương’s love interest in her teenage years). There were a lot of different facets to the story because of how many characters we follow.
Character Scale: 4
The Mountains Sing exudes a wide range of storytelling and uncovers the heart of Vietnam’s history. It is a beautiful novel written with a lot of heart. Overall, this is a promising novel in the historical fiction genre that you won’t want to miss. If it wasn’t on your radar before, it should be! I would recommend this to readers interested in reading about the Vietnam War from the perspective of the Vietnamese people and readers who love generational stories and storytelling.
Plotastic Scale: 4.25
Cover Thoughts: This cover is one of my favorites. It is absolutely stunning and in person, it's beautiful!
Thank you, Algonquin Books for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review and being a part of the blog tour.
Are you planning to read The Mountains Sing? Have you ever read any Vietnamese fiction before? (This was a first for me and I loved it.) Let me know down below in the comments!
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