“The story sounded like a fairytale, too good to be true.”

Phong might be onto something, but I’ll start at the beginning. Two young Vietnamese women are deceived by a friend and discover too late that tea drinkers also do short and long times. The inevitable happens. Children are born and abandoned. Decades go by. Four of them. One parent of each child will have comfortable lives eventually. In real life, as in Phong’s, many of the orphaned children lived lives of misery, hunger, rejection, uncertainty, fear. Phong, like others, will live in the streets as homeless dust children. They will be taunted, ostracized, shuttled to the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Below it, actually. How many of them are Cinderellas?

Can a passionate, RITA-worthy romance slather a burnishing veneer on an exploitative relationship? Does it abrade the shine a bit when the guy later says it occasionally crossed his mind to search the internet for his lover and love child, but he resisted the urge because it would cause him more pain? I’m curious. Did he consider how much pain this woman and child suffered in a war-torn country because the safe, supported, financially secure father was disciplined in resisting urges? I’m sure he resisted that thought too. It is impossible to recount the many, many selfish and self-serving things this man thinks and says without giving too much away. They are in plain sight. Readers will find them. I was unable to ignore them. They just shaved off all those warm fuzzies that were sticking to his burnish.

This book is a view of the Vietnam war that hones in on the most helpless of its victims, the children conceived when local women, many from impoverished families, served the needs of soldiers. It also explores the emotional toll on women who felt compelled to give up their children because they had sacrificed their youths and reputations to jobs that might help their families who had nothing, and the long-time fees, which were nothing to the soldiers, was staggering wealth to them. One would think that the men who discarded them wouldn’t get off so easy.

I’m not being judgy here, just real, as the author is when she’s being brave and showing us the disgust and horror Trang feels when she is first molested. Or the grief and fresh abandonment Phong feels when Sister Nhã dies. The exploitation they are exposed to. Their hopelessness. We readers all have unique lenses, none better than the other just different. My lens wanted more bravery. The reality of war happens to be in our face these days every time we view, scroll, tweet, like, or gossip at the virtual water fountain. None of that jives with dreamy endings.

I truly appreciate that this author brought this subject to the US book market. I’m just not one who wants or needs spun-sugar coating on a weighty subject such as this to make it palatable. But that’s not the author’s fault. She wrote her story, and I respect that. It’s just not for me.

My gratitude to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

This was a fascinating work of historical fiction that explores trauma, guilt, cultural pressure, and racial prejudice from the viewpoints of several different ethnicities. I love that the author chose to tell this story from the perspective of a mixed race (Black and Vietnamese) man, a Vietnamese woman, and a white man. This allowed the themes to be presented through three different lenses, highlighting the similarities and differences in a meaningful way. I think I would have enjoyed the story a bit more if Dan’s present-day timeline had been less of a focus and if we’d gotten more information from when Phong was growing up.

The author also excelled at creating a strong sense of place. The setting and cultures were incorporated wonderfully throughout the story, and I learned much about the people and the setting. I loved how easily the author incorporated Vietnamese culture into the exposition, especially the proverbs that were included. I also enjoyed that while this work was largely set during the Vietnam War, it didn’t focus on the war and soldiers, but rather on the horrors that the local communities and families had to survive.

If you enjoy historical fiction with well-developed characters and themes, then this read is for you. It was beautifully written and woven together and I’m excited to read more from this author.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

An interesting story filled with history of Vietnam and the war. The characters and the countryside were vividly portrayed. Good read.

3.25☆

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! As a huge fan of The Mountains Sing, I was so excited to dive into another heart wrenching saga of familial love and bonds across time and history. And I was not disappointed. Many people are tempted to keep war and history in the history books, but this book shows how the human cost of war and survival reverberate through to the present. Blending past and present, this incredibly moving book follows two sisters who have to make difficult decisions in order to survive and how their choices unfold through two men in the present who are irrevocably intertwined.
This story is incredibly poetic and devastating in equal turns, but there is present true joy as well. Joy in the face of war and the horrors of reality is a radical act all it’s own.
For fans of Pachinko, this is a must read.

Thank you Algonquin books for the review copy, via NetGalley, of Dust Child by Que Mai Phan Nguyen . I appreciate the care shown to the plot and characters in this novel, which offers a range of POVs into the enduring impact of the Vietnam war at the individual, familial, and cultural level. I admit I read about the author to learn more about her lived experiences and approach to her writing and to gain more insight into how she was connected to Vietnam and the experiences she conveyed and I appreciate her willingness to delve into themes she has personal connections to. (I add this as I have seen negative reviews and while personal opinions are so great in the book world, I do feel it important to note a writer who has more insight into this story and her plot/characters than many readers will have...).

There is nuance in Que Mai Phan Nguyen's writing, an attempt to reconcile diverse and diffuse ideas about war, about love and family; the stories that connect with each other while honoring distinct experiences are deftly, gently written. At the heart of the story I also felt an ode to writing, to storytelling and story sharing, to reading and to books for being outlets for learning and expression and I really appreciated how I felt that theme reaching out to me as a reader.

Recommended for readers who appreciated this author's earlier work, readers who appreciate Lisa See's work, and readers who enjoyed books such as Snow Falling on Cedars.

Nguyen's 'The Moutain's Sing' was one of my favorite reads of 2021. No surprise that 'Dust Child' has been on my radar. I was so excited to receive a eARC from Netgalley. 
Unfortunately, 'Dust Child' left me wanting for more. The subject matter of The Vietnam War,  Ameriasian children of soldier fathers and Vietnamese mothers scandalized, abandoned and looked down upon was absorptive and tragic. My problem were the characters felt under-developed. I couldn't wrap my mind around some of their decisions and emotions. That being said, I have never experienced anything remotely similar to what they went through. Regardless, there was a disconnection that I felt between the main characters. 
I still enjoyed it and learned a lot but it was no 'The Mountain's Sing'.

This beautifully written novel will hit you right in the heart. The author takes you back in time to the Vietnam war along with time after the war. Having been a young teen at the time, I have vivid memories of many of the consequences of that war. The way this book is written, you will feel what the characters are going through and the decisions they make. You will see the landscape through their eyes as if you were right alongside them. There are many layers to this book, all handled gently and with respect.

I'm afraid I don't have the ability to accurately describe how much I loved this novel, "Dust Child" by Nguyen Phan Que Mai. Having discovered this author when I read "The Mountains Sing", I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of her new book that will be published on March 14th.

The story was compelling, heartbreaking and so beautifully written that I was highlighting passages like crazy. That the author is also known for her poetry makes for such stunning imagery that adds an amazing depth and beauty to her writing.

As an 73 year old American, I distinctly remember the Vietnam war and all it's terrible consequences for our country and the brave men and women who served...as well as the splintering of the public discourse that was caused by differing opinions on the moral justification of our participation in this war. Through this author's novels we are privileged to gain a wider understanding of how war affects people on both sides on the conflict.

Nguyễn Phan Que Mai does an impressive job of showing us the far reaching impact war has on all those involved...the young servicemen, the ordinary citizens who struggle to survive and most of all Ameriasians that through no fault of their own have to deal with the tragic fallout of war. The story is powerful with well developed characters that I cared deeply about...Phong, Trang, Dan and Quynh and their respective stories.

A quote from the book that is at the very core of why I love to read and hopefully, gain a wider understanding of the world we inhabit.

"For him, a conversation about books represented the most intimate discourse. It revealed a person's values, beliefs, fears, and hopes. Experiencing the same books enabled people to travel on similar journeys and brought them closer together."

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The author says this story is based on her PhD research; she grew up in Viet Nam. It's a story about family, and forgiveness, and the consequences of war, but it's also about secrets and why they are kept. So much of this story hurt my heart: racism, colorism, imperialism, war…the list goes on.

Dust Child by Que Mai Phan Nguyen provides a revealing look into the lives of Amerasians living in Vietnam after the war, in particular one Black Amerasian named Phong. The story moves between 2016 and the war years. In 2016, we meet a Vietnam Veteran who has struggled with PTSD since the war who, finally convinced by his wife, returns to Vietnam to make peace with the past and confront his secrets. During the war years, there are two sisters who move from the countryside to become Saigon bar girls. Their interactions and those of thousands of other bar girls and prostitutes with American men will forever mark the Vietnamese population in the form of the children who must bear the consequences of their parents’ actions. The author deftly moves between the time periods and characters to bring us into a full understanding of the lives of Amerasians who remained in Vietnam after the war and who are now middle-aged. Discrimination and cruel treatment have marked their lives. The author explores how, when questions of parentage and belonging may never be answered, the past can ever be reconciled for Amerasians and those responsible for giving them life. Engaging and informative, Dust Child is a novel worth reading.

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has given the world another beautifully written book. The juxtaposition of the gentle Vietnamese people against the savagery of war shreds my heart and soul. Even though surrounded by violence, respectfulness, and gentleness could still be found among the people of Vietnam.

In 1969, sisters Trang (aka Kim) and Quỳnh (aka Lan) leave their rural village. They go to Sài Gòn where they become “bar girls” earning money to help their parents pay off their debts. American GIs come to the bar to drink and flirt with the girls. As I am sure you can imagine, the interaction often goes beyond just flirting.

In 2016, veteran Dan and his wife Linda go to Vietnam with the hope that some of Dan’s demons may be laid to rest. However, Linda does not know that Dan abandoned his pregnant Vietnamese girlfriend and now hopes to find them.

When Dan and Linda arrive in Vietnam, they soon encounter Phong who is the child of a Vietnamese woman and a Black American GI. Phong has experienced discrimination his entire life and is determined to immigrate to America to find his father.

The themes of this book include the mental impact of the war on US soldiers, the destruction of Vietnam’s land and people, loyalty, and betrayal. But it is also a story of hope, forgiveness, and the power of family to help people overcome their tragedies. The stories of the characters are written with such compassion that invokes strong emotions. I also learned about the trauma the Vietnamese soldiers endured. All these characters tore at my heart, sometimes eliciting tears. I know these characters are fictional, but they are inspired by people who really lived those lives.

I learned about the program the US instituted to help some of these children of American soldiers (known as “dust children”) immigrate to the US. These children often experienced severe discrimination in Vietnam.

I received an advance copy of the book from Algonquin Books via NetGalley. The opinions I express here are entirely my own.

*Publish date 3/14/23. Thank you to Alongquin Books and NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of this book.*

The Dust Child is a heart-wrenching saga told from two timelines (during the Viet Nam war and 40 years later) and through the eyes of three main characters. Trang/Kim is a young girl who leaves for Sai Gon to help her family raise money to pay off debts and becomes a "bar girl". Phong is the son of a Vietnamese woman and a Black American soldier who is abandoned as a baby at an orphanage. Dan is an American soldier who returns to Viet Nam with his wife to address his demons and try to find a woman and baby he left behind. Nguyen Phan Que Mai beautifully tells the story of the atrocities of this war and the scars it left on both sides of the Pacific and the thousands of children who were left in the wake, straddling both cultures, and often wanted by neither. A MUST read!

The cover of this book shows a Bodhi tree, symbolizing luck and enlightenment. In this book we meet two men, Dan and Phong both searching through their war torn pasts to find redemption. Dan was a helicopter pilot during the war. He fell for Kim and is now back in a Vietnam searching for her and the child he never met. Phong is a child of the war, searching for his parents, only knowing he was cast out on a branch of the Bodhi tree as a child in front of an orphanage. He’s had a rough life of abuse, neglect and ostracism. The two men come together as they search through their past/ what they find may not be expected but is enlightening. I really enjoyed this novel and appreciate a historical work about another war beside ww2. These stories are important and worth knowing and I’m better for reading this book. If you like dual timeline historical fiction with some meat, struggle and heartache this book will resonate. It reminded me some of Attic Child as the narrators search for truth. Also my sons name is Bodhi so …biased that I love the cover;)

Wow, this book is phenomenal. Delicately captures the layers and layers of trauma and grief of the Vietnam War, both interpersonal and intergenerational. I love how this book is the result of the author's doctoral research, so while the stories were fictionalized, the kernels of real people's lived experience shone through. Highly recommend this book for those interested in a historical fiction/literary fiction. A big thank you to the publisher for having me on the tour for this book, and stay tuned for my Instagram post and blog discussion with Kriti for more of my thoughts!

Vietnam following 3 different POV's.

1. 2 sisters who choose to go work in a bar to "serve drinks" to help their parents afford to live.
2. Phong was an orphan and 1/2 American/Vietnamese child who is trying to move to the U.S. with his family.
3. Dan is an American who comes to Vietnam to visit and potentially find his girlfriend and their baby from when he was there during the war.

This shed such a light on the problems and repercussions of one of the aspects of the Vietnam war. I loved seeing the insides of each persons world and what struggles each encountered. It is so valuable to "walk in anothers shoes" by living in their world through words on a page.

The book started off strong for me where I enjoyed each of the perspectives but by mid-book it lagged a bit. By the end I was satisfied with the resolutions that were reached even though each may not have been what was originally wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the advance e-copy of this book.

3-1/2 stars rounded up. Dust Child was not as compelling as this author’s previous novel, The Mountains Sing, though it’s still a very worthwhile read. I found the writing to be inconsistent: at its best when the focus was on the Vietnamese characters, but weaker when dealing with Americans, especially Linda, who seemed to transform almost overnight from shrill and furious to calm and compassionate.

The early chapters of Dust Child are very much reminiscent of the plot of the musical Miss Saigon, and seem quite sympathetic to the plight of the American soldiers who find themselves in a strange land fighting a war that is nothing like they expected. The story became more engrossing to me as it delved more deeply into the lives of the Vietnamese people and their experiences of the war and its aftermath.

At the heart of the story are the Amerasian children of US servicemen, many of whom suffered great discrimination and deprivation because of the circumstances of their birth, conditions over which they of course had no control. Searching for unknown parents could have both points and negative impacts, on these now-grown children, on the parents whose lives have taken many different paths, and on additional children born to either American or Vietnamese parents long after the war.

This book is heartbreakingly beautiful! This story is told by different people all in the Vietnam War. Two sisters go to town to work in a bar to help their parents with money. One sister falls in love with American pilot Dan. Phong is placed in front of an orphanage as he is the son of a black American and a Vietnamese woman. This book is told in two timelines, 1969 & 2016. The characters are incredible and makes you read this story very quickly. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This book was amazing! I learned so much and really enjoyed learning about Vietnam and like during and after the Vietnam War. While sometimes I was a bit annoyed with the characters, I still was very drawn into their story and invested in them. I like the redemptive and hopeful ending. I also really appreciated how this book used Vietnamese words and characters throughout. This book would be very good on audio as well.

Dust Child is three stories, taking place during and after the Vietnam War, perfectly woven together. This book explores many of the effects of the war on the people of Vietnam and is told from the perspective of a young woman forced to leave her village for the city in order to provide for her family as a “bar girl”, an American GI, and a man born to a Vietnamese mother and Black American father during the war.

I LOVED this book and I thought it was beautifully written. I had never read a book set in Vietnam and I learned a ton by reading it. I loved all the different perspectives that the book presented, the history, and the cultural aspects. I’m not writing this review to give my 2 cents about the war or my political opinions, but I think the author covered those topics thoroughly and in an unbiased manner. It really made me empathize with the characters and think about numerous subjects in ways that I had never thought about them before.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this e-ARC; I can’t wait to purchase this book!

I enjoyed the story of Dust Child. The history from the perspective of the Vietnamese was very interesting. I cannot wait to read “The Mountains Sing.”