I really enjoyed the insight into this historical period and how the war affected the people who lived there. These stories brought to light the untold stories that have been hidden for so long. The triple POV was a unique experience as I slow pieced together how they intwine.

In a Nutshell: Reveals some great insights about Vietnam and the aftermath of the American war on the country. The plot was somewhat predictable, but overall, a worthy OwnVoices work.


Story Synopsis:
2016. Middle-aged Phong is the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese mother, but as he grew up in an orphanage, he doesn’t know anything about his parents except their race. He has now decided to search for his father and using his help, escape to the US with his family to avoid the drudgery of Vietnam.
2016. Dan, an American veteran, has returned to the country where he served during the war, in the hope that his PTSD will improve, but unknown to his wife Linda, he has a secret agenda as well.
1969: Sisters Trang and Quỳnh follow their friend’s advice and leave their rice fields to work as ‘bar girls’ in Sài Gòn, hoping to earn enough to repay their parents’ debts. As Sài Gòn is filled with American GIs, the bar girls are supposed to drink ‘Sài Gòn tea’ and flirt with the GIs in exchange for money. Unknown to the two, the interactions don’t stop at just flirting and the sisters are forced to make a tough decision. Things get even more complicated when one of them falls for an American helicopter pilot.
The lives of these four characters are interlinked. How? You will need to read the book and find out.
The story comes to us mostly in the 3rd person limited perspective of the above four characters.


Bookish Yays:
✔ The authenticity of the Vietnamese voice and culture. Not surprising considering the author’s background.

✔ The title: ‘Dust Child’ refers to the mixed race children born during and after the war. While many of these babies were treated as outcasts, the ones with Black fathers and born with prominent Black features were treated the worst. Learning about this unseen side of the war was saddening and yet illuminating.

✔ The narrative choices: A white man, two Vietnamese women, and an Amerasian man, with each voice being given an equal weightage and no sides being taken and no fingers being pointed against either country. Loved the fairness of it. I also appreciate the point raised about the hypocritical attitude of the country that welcomes returning ex-American GIs but shuns ex-Viet Cong soldiers as enemies.

✔ Trang’s character arc – handled the best in terms of emotions as well as development.

✔ This is a war story where the war stays in the background. What we get to see is the human cost of the war for those not actively involved in the fighting. Appreciate this approach as it adds a novelty to the plot.

✔ The themes, ranging from PTSD to single motherhood to rape to prostitution to poverty to racial discrimination to gender discrimination. All handled well. None over the top. (These do create plenty of triggers, so proceed with care. It’s a story set during wartime, so don’t expect an easy, trauma-free read.)


Bookish If Onlys:
⚠ Phong’s character arc: Had so much potential in terms of depicting how Amerasian children left in Vietnam felt about fitting in neither here nor there. But somehow, his arc shoves in too many of some things and too little of others, leaving me feeling like I didn’t get to know him well. I still liked his arc, but wish it had been more streamlined. ⚠ I wish the approach towards this story had been more literary than commercial. The general fiction vibes reduce the impact of the emotions.

⚠ The ending: While most of the ending was good, some part was just too exaggerated and coincidental. A layer of realism would have made me happier as this wasn’t supposed to be a happy story anyway.


Bookish Nays:
❌ Dan’s character arc: Feels quite ad hoc. The changes in his behaviour aren’t written smoothly, and as such, he is quite tough to like and not at all a compelling character. Even if I make allowances for his PTSD, he doesn’t come across as consistent.

❌ Disliked the ‘white saviour’ vibes coming from the contemporary storyline, regardless of how genuine a part of it might be.

❌ The predictability: Most historical fiction readers will be able to see where most of the story is going. Except for a couple of plot points at the end, it is quite guessable and offers no major surprises.

I’ve heard a lot about this author’s debut work, ‘The Mountains Sing’, but as I haven’t read it yet, I cannot compare the two. A friend of mine who has read both warned me that this isn’t as good as the earlier book. I guess that means I have the better book to look forward to.

Regardless, this book did manage to satisfy me to a great extent. My expectations were quite high, especially as this is an #OwnVoices work. Despite the qualms I had with some of the plot points, I relished reading an insider perspective of the US-Vietnam war.

Definitely recommended to historical fiction readers.

My thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the ALC of “Dust Child”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Lately, I’ve been on a streak of novels set against the backdrop of the Vietnam war. Dust Child explores the idea of the broken families left in its wake. Using one of my favorite storytelling devices—multiple timelines and characters that eventually come together—the author creates three narratives: Vietnamese sisters forced into prostitution to help their struggling family; a PTSD-suffering veteran in America who abandoned a pregnant woman when he left the country; and a biracial Vietnamese man, orphaned as a child and desperate to relocate his impoverished family to America and track down his Black soldier father. The story was a page turner for me. Nguyen paints a vivid picture of the various Vietnamese settings and I keenly felt the main characters’ plights. There were so many repercussions of this war, and Dust Child is a rewarding read, helping with understanding Amerasians, the innocent children of Vietnamese women and GIs from the US.

I absolutely adored Nguyen's debut novel, so I was delighted to receive a copy of Dust Child. And, I was not disappointed as the author brought her attention to detail and rich character building to explore the lives of two sisters and how the legacy of the Vietnam War shaped their lives.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Que Mai Pham Nguyen is such a talented writer. She does such an amazing job of writing stories that span decades without making it feel like it’s moving too fast or you’re missing information. This one was such a heart wrenching story about another part of the Vietnam war that isn’t common knowledge. The writing was poetic and the characters and their back stories were so well fleshed out. Definitely an auto buy author.

A fascinating story about divisions and healing across the world. I loved the interconnected narratives and the way that Nguyen jumped through time to create a fulsome picture of a global story.

"Heartfelt and Profound: A Literary Masterpiece"

"Dust Child" stands as a true literary masterpiece deserving every accolade it receives. This profoundly empathetic novel takes readers on a poignant journey through the profound and devastating consequences of love and war.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, the narrative intricately weaves together the lives of two Vietnamese sisters, Trang and Quỳnh, an American veteran named Dan, and Phong, an Amerasian man. Their paths intersect in unexpected and often suspenseful ways, crafting a story that is both emotionally charged and lyrically beautiful.

The journey of Trang and Quỳnh, as they move from their rural village to the bustling city of Sài Gòn, is a testament to their resilience and the profound sacrifices they are willing to make for the sake of their family. Trang's compelling romance with an American helicopter pilot introduces a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos and devastation of war. Dan's return to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, peels back the layers of haunting secrets he believed were long buried, uncovering the delicate process of healing from deep-seated trauma. Meanwhile, Phong's quest for his parents and a better life shines a spotlight on the indomitable spirit of those who have been marginalized and labeled as "the dust of life."

Nguyễn's prose is evocative and immersive, seamlessly transporting readers to the war-torn landscapes of Việt Nam, allowing them to intimately experience the complexity of living through such a tumultuous period. Nguyễn deftly explores intricate themes of race, generational divides, and cultural differences. The characters in the novel grapple with the decisions made during a time of war, ultimately finding common ground despite their stark contrasts.

This book is a beautiful emotional rollercoaster, haunting and lyrical in every sense. It is a moving and educational journey that delves deep into a specific slice of history, unraveling its reverberating impacts and illuminating the human spirit's resilience.

I wholeheartedly recommend "Dust Child." It's a literary gem that will leave a lasting impression on your heart and mind, making it a must-read for anyone seeking a profound and emotionally rich narrative.

DUST CHILD is a compelling and beautifully crafted novel that delves into the themes of love, loss, and perseverance in war-ravaged Vietnam. Nguyen masterfully intertwines the lives of the central characters as they grapple with the consequences of war.

The story features multiple characters and perspectives but primarily centers around Phong, a "Dust Child" born to a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. Phong wrestles with his identity as he dreams of a brighter future for himself and his family in America, while also seeking to find his father.

Nguyen's writing is both eloquent and accessible, allowing readers to deeply feel the emotional journey and resilience of the characters. DUST CHILD is a highly recommended read for those seeking to explore the intricate nature of war and its profound impact on human lives.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Algonquin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The author takes us Vietnam, a land ravaged by the Vietnam War and the role of servicemen who had relationships with Vietnamese women resulting in children, both left behind when the soldiers left to go home. No only was the country devasted but its people were damaged in a different way by the shame brought to the women as sex workers and mothers of illegitimate children and the mixed children who struggled to survive in a community that mainly did not accept them. We meet sisters Trang and Quynh in 1969 who leave their village to become bar girls in Sai Gon to make money for their struggling family back in the village. Trang meets Dan, a white solider who unknown to Trang has a fiancee back home. They fall in love. Interwoven is the story of Phong in 2016, the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. He is trying to get a visa to take his family to the US but he needs genetic proof of his US father. These mixed children are referred to as "the dust of life" or dust child and the enemy's children. Past and present converge when Dan searches for the women he loved and Phong searches for his father and mother to gain a better life in the US. Full of history and suspense, it is beautifully told from the Vietnamese perspective and how the many costs of war affect the Vietnamese to this day.

This was an epic journey that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love reading books that make you feel. Thank you Algonquin books for this gifted copy.

Dust Child is a heartrending experience of losing and reclaiming humanity. The prose intertwined with the Vietnamese language creates a tale crafted with acuity, artistry, and erudition"

It’s 1969 and the Vietnam conflict is wreaking havoc in Southeast Asia. People from the countryside, as well as city-dwellers are, impacted by the war. Two sisters, Trang and Quynh, are desperate to help their parents pay their debts. When they learn of an opportunity to make good money from a friend who works in Saigon, they leave their parents’ farm and head to the bustling city. They are told their job is to drink tea and talk with American servicemen but the girls soon learn it’s not as simple a job as it sounds and more than conversation may be required to earn good money.

Another storyline follows an Amerasian boy named Phong who was abandoned during the war. He longs to go to America but has been denied. He’s half-Black, half-Vietnamese which means he doesn’t fit in in his own homeland. He’s called a “dust child.”

In a third timeline set in 2016, there’s Dan, an American who fought in the war. He has reluctantly agreed to return to Vietnam with his wife on a vacation. Dan has struggled with memories of his service time and his returning brings back events that have haunted him for a long time.

The three stories converge when adult Phong meets Dan as each of them are seeking answers. The American can’t help himself as he’s drawn to reconnect with his past. The sisters story also has a connection and as the story progresses, mysteries are revealed, just as the search for answers gets more complicated.

The sad tale of the impact on the local Vietnamese people from having American GI’s in their world, brings home the harsh reality of the war’s toll on everyone. Not only the people who sought to make some money off the situation, but the American soldiers and those who were left behind all found their lives deeply affected. Having lived through the Vietnam Conflict, and having family involved in the engagement, this book brings to the forefront some of the critical issues of war, outside of combat. This highlights some of the tragedies beyond the scope of fighting that added to the cost of warfare. Specifically, the human toll of children left behind by servicemen is amplified here. They are the innocent victims, unwanted on all sides.

The characters are sympathetic; all are caught up in the whirlwind of the chaos of war and are impacted long after the war has ended. The novel does not focus on the physical toll of warfare but rather the emotional and societal repercussions. As the three storylines slowly move closer to an intersection, the story comes full circle in a satisfying way.

A underwritten but important part of history, and also a deeply satisfying story that made for an easy and exciting read, despite the grief and pain that underlie the topic.

I struggled a little bit with this story line just because the story itself reminded me of the broadway show, Miss Saigon. It had me questioning who the author was targeting for readership. The book follows several characters: a man, whose father was an American soldier and mother a Vietnamese local, and a former American soldier from the Vietnam War.

Nguyen did a wonderful job of showing how hard it is to get into the U.S. from Vietnam. I have had several friends tell me their own stories and stories of the difficulties of bringing their family members over. And if anything, the impact of war on soldiers and the locals in which these soldiers are housed.

This author really knows hot to tell a story. I couldn't wait to find out how it would end. Beautifully written considering the hard subject matter.

This book absolutely did not work for me. I am really disappointed because I absolutely LOVED Qua Mai Phan Nguyen's previous novel, The Mountains Sing. But this one felt like it was written for the white gaze. I was constantly being yanked out of the story to listen to explanations of historical and cultural points which I would much prefer to consume holistically through the characters and plot. I hate-read Dan's entire sections, which was a solid half of the book. I do not need to read about Vietnam from the perspective of an American vet - particularly a perspective that wants the reader to sympathize with a murderer. But poor him, he has PTSD about it? And he never told his wife about the child he abandoned? What torment (eye roll). There is a way to write unlikable characters, but this is not it.

I did appreciate the reveal of the connections among the characters. And the author's note at the end gave some background on why she wrote this story and where she was coming from. But I would pass on this one and tell people to read The Mountains Sing instead.

“Everyone came from dust and would one day return to dust. Life is transitory, after all.”

Beautiful & heartbreaking.

"Dust Child" is a literary masterpiece that deserves every accolade it receives. This powerful and deeply empathetic novel takes readers on a heart-wrenching journey through the devastating consequences of love and war.

Set during and after the war in Việt Nam, the novel weaves together the lives of two Vietnamese sisters, Trang and Quỳnh, an American veteran named Dan, and Phong, an Amerasian man. Their paths intersect in unexpected ways, leading to a narrative filled with suspense, emotion & lyrical beauty.

Trang and Quỳnh's journey from their rural village to the bustling city of Sài Gòn is a testament to their resilience and the sacrifices they are willing to make for their family. Trang's irresistible romance with an American helicopter pilot adds an element of hope amidst the chaos of war. Meanwhile, Dan's return to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, reveals the haunting secrets he thought he had buried, exposing the delicate nature of healing from trauma. And Phong's search for his parents and a better life showcases the indomitable spirit of those who have been marginalized and labeled as "the dust of life."

Nguyễn's prose is evocative and immersive, effortlessly transporting readers to the war-torn landscapes of Việt Nam and allowing them to experience the complexity living through war. Nguyễn explores complex themes of race, generation and culture. The characters in the novel confront the decisions made during a time of war and discover common ground despite their differences. The book is a beautiful emotional rollercoaster; both haunting and lyrical in every sense. It is a moving and educational story that really explains that slice of history and the reverberating impacts it had.

All in all I highly recommend.

Dust child is a wonderful story told in multiple point of views and timelines about Amerasians that are living in poverty in Vietnam shunned by the Vietnamese as children of the enemy and children of shame by many of the bar girls who served the Americans during the war for money.

Many of these bar girls end up pregnant and the children sent to orphanages - with these children growing up not knowing who their parents were.

Dust Child is also a story of the American Service Men with hidden trauma, who go back to Vietnam looking for their family / children / their promises of love.

The story was powerful and quite emotional. I loved how through this story we are able to see both sides. Both sides of the story both sides, reliving, multiple generations of trauma, different types of suffering, but still suffering just the same.

I thought that the surprising ending was just told so perfectly. The writing of this book was hands-down, brilliant and masterful crafting.

I have also read the story through an audiobook, and the narration was beyond. I felt all the emotions and all of the characters had a distinct voice.

I was a huge fan of The Mountains Sing by this author, so I had very high expectations. This book did not disappoint! I loved the exploration of the lives and interactions of mixed race children born during and after the Vietnam War. The author's prose is stellar and drew me into the story. I enjoyed the different POVs, and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

I read the author’s debut book, The Mountains Sing back in 2020. One of the first to showcase Vietnam from the Vietnamese perspective. Her sophomore novel captures the heartache and trauma during and after the war.

The book is not just about the bụi đời. It is a nuanced narrative of people affected by the war and its aftermath. The Amerasian children, the soldiers on all sides, the villagers, the city dwellers, and people who had nothing to do with the politics of war. Narrated across multiple timelines (between 1969 and 2016), it switches between the past and present with equal ease. The fast-paced read explores the dark side of a war that spared none. Quế Mai is a master storyteller. Her writing is heartbreakingly beautiful and has you turning the pages. Her book does not romanticize the trauma. It lays the ravages of war all bare but also speaks of hope, forgiveness, and second chances.

It is the story of two sisters Trang and Quỳnh from a rural Vietnam village who become “bar girls” for American GI patrons in Saigon. To support their family back home. Trang finds love in the arms of a GI only to be abandoned when she needs him the most.

Phong, an Amerasian child of an African American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. Abandoned at birth and bullied for his skin color. Now middle-aged, he dreams of a better life for his family but has enough vultures around to make a quick buck on this suffering.

Dan, a troubled US veteran and helicopter pilot struggling with PTSD. He returns to Vietnam with his wife, Linda, almost fifty years later looking for closure and is haunted by a secret that could upturn his life.

As their worlds collide decades later, there is heartbreak, forgiveness, and acceptance. New bonds formed. And there is hope for a better, more peaceful world.

Not just the central characters, the author also explores the effect of war on each side involved. The tour guide, an allied ARVN veteran abandoned by America and left to suffer the consequences. A communist soldier suffering from Alzeihmer but still tormented by the ghosts of the war. No character is black or white but brainwashed soldiers by the propaganda machine.

I cannot recommend the book enough. An all five stars read for me. It is more relevant now than ever before. When trigger-happy leaders go to war and the common folk are left to pick up the pieces for decades to come. War and strife spare no one.