The Mountains Sing

If I had to sum this book up in one word it would be transporting. And the audio experience only added to that. Hearing the names and places pronounced correctly and the inflection of feeling given to the descriptions, I could vividly picture this sweeping tale as it carried me across time and place. Reading the stories of a family through the timelines of a grandmother and granddaughter, you will suffer loss and grief, but also experience kindness and hope. Sometimes we act like the WWII stories we read have a monopoly on tales that contrast the worst and best of humanity, but this story shows us another facet of that human saga.

Quite possible the best book I’ve ever read (listened)I did not expect to have fallen in love with this book. It stole my heart. The narration was also excellent. Listened via Hoopla.

I've listened to books about WWI and WWII, Korean War, Afghanistan; but never Vietnam. I was apprehensive about listening; anticipating the likely brutality. Were there horrific events, definitely. But Nguyen Phan Que Mai wove stories from different eras together so intricately and I fell in love with the characters with a new understanding of the country and the challenges of the last several decades. Japanese invasion, fighting between north and south, social programs further impacting the country.

This book was beautifully written and one of my favorite books in 2020.

This book became available (again?) via NetGalley October 2020; I had originally listened to the book via Hoopla early August 2020 (my original review is the first four sentences). I requested (and was approved) a copy via NetGalley and the author in Oct 2020 in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't going to request an ARC, but decided to because I wanted the publisher and author to know how much I really loved this book. Thank you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my copy of The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai in exchange for an honest review. It published March 17, 2020.
THIS book was so gorgeously, and heartbreakingly written and read, that I couldn't stop thinking about it or telling others about it. This book grew my empathy and respect for the Vietnamese people and what they have endured over the last century or so. What a strong and incredible people! What a beautiful culture! I felt like I learned quite a bit that I wasn't aware of regarding both history and culture and was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
There are trigger warnings including sexual assault, racism, violence, verbal and physical abuse, and strong language.

This is definitely a book that you need to be in a certain mind frame to be able to listen to or read. It is a beautiful told story of Vietnamese history but also a very tragic story of poverty and hardship particularly among the women. And, also during the Vietnamese war between the north and the south. I have read some historical fictions of other wars in history but this was my first about the Vietnam war and culture. I am glad I started with this one.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was truly authentic and true to the story line. I really enjoyed listening to this story and because of this narrator I may have to use the word “sister”when referring to close friends. I doubt I could pull this off quite as well as this narrator did but every time I heard “Hello Sister” it just felt endearing.

Thank you Netgalley audio for granting me this audible in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai is a great story about the Vietnam War.

The Mountains Sing is a story about different generations of the Tran family. Tran Dieu Lan, a mother of six children, was forced to leave her family farm. Years later her and her granddaughter are dealing with their family fighting in the Vietnam War.

Do you ever read a book that is so impactful you don’t have words? That was this book. I believe this was the first book I’ve read about the Vietnam War but definitely won’t be my last.

The Mountain Sing is a great story with so much emotion and struggle. I liked how different characters stories were told. The Mountain Sing is a moving, intense, and emotional story with family conflict, different political views, and loss. The Vietnam War is going on, so there is the expected loss and struggles. Having family members on both sides of the war really added to the story. A son wouldn’t talk to his mom, so she made her granddaughter run deliveries to him.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Quyen Ngo and I loved her narration so much. Her tone and voice could not have been more perfect for this story. The narration was so beautiful and added to an excellent story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for The Mountains Sing.

I literally went from 3.5 stars to 4 stars in 2.50 minutes. the ending really made justice to the main characters is like at the end of the book everything was redeemed and I have to say I'm so happy about it because I was ready to go on a rampage and not because the story or the book was not good, it was more because the whole book, chapter after chapter the feeling of sadness was very constant, there was no kindness, no love the whole story was very harsh for me because it felt like at that time no one really cares about anyone, it was hurt, pain and sadness at all times.

The Mountains Sing is the story of two generations gran mother and grandaughter Guava and Tran Dieu Lan, both narrating the atrocities they live during the war in Vietnam in different times of their lives and different situations but both really very similar as the damage this war caused was terrible.

While I was reading this book, I kept wondering why the evilness, why the atrocities, why, why, why,
but I always ask the same questions whenever a read a book that has Asian characters or goes into depth about Asian History. I know it's a different culture and a different history but I always find the sadness and the lack of love are very present in these books. The Mountain Sing was not the exception I was very angry at all times, because no matter how much I wanted to see even a little kindness there was none of it, even at 90% we still have that depression permeating around the characters. I wanted to see Guava happy she deserves it and I was still fighting with the book in the last couple of minutes.

What I really like about this story was the strength of these women, they really show how strong they were, and I have to say more than any hero, or any man, these women were fierceness and endure so much pain and terrible situations during their life, they lost many things, their life, their freedom, their family, home and properties they practically were left in the street by the terrible people who were blinded by rage and didn't stop thinking about the kindness and empathy this family had shown time and time again to their employees.

Injustice, a lot of unnecessary deaths, laws, and reforms that really broke the self-esteem in the entire population, this really made my heartbreak. we don't live in a perfect world and many stories of our world history are terrible but again the end really made justice. These two amazing women were doing and preaching at all times their kindness and love no matter what and that's what really made me felt in love at the end with the book. what Tran Dieu Lan did was shocking and the most honorable thing a person can do with so much love and kindness.

The Narrations by Quyen Ngo were amazing, I really enjoy how much depth was given to the main characters and not only to the main ones also the secondary so this story was more alive with the magnificent voice of Quyen Ngo I enjoy it.

Overall it was a good painful read, too much sadness, and too real for my taste but as I said I'm glad the author gave us a kinder ending. I know real life can be thought but we can also find miracles and magic and that's what we need to keep spreading to remember our true nature.

This is a gut wrenching story of a family from the early 1900s through to the end of the century of Viet Nam's horrific history. The author takes you through these years and the atrocities of war from this Vietnamese family's perspective, starting with grandparents. You follow the many wars in Vietnam's history through this family, the fighting amongst themselves, land owners versus the poor, the north versus the south, fighting the neighboring countries and what I am most familiar with, the Vietnam War. This took a terrible toll on this family and its history. I would suggest looking into a family tree and familiarizing yourself with the layout of Vietnam, specifically Hanoi in the north and Saigon in the south. I learned a lot and enjoyed the narration but at times found it difficult to follow because of the use of family words in Vietnamese, auntie, uncle, grandmother, to signify a relationship, sometimes regardless of a shared bloodline.

'The Mountains Sing' is a stunning and heartbreaking novel set in Vietnam during the twentieth century. The dual timeline story follows a wealthy family Vietnam mostly in the 1950s and 1970s, during and following absolutely devastating periods in the country's history. The country has suffered terrible tribulations in the 20th century: from French and Japanese invasion, to a massive famine where 2 million died, to communist Land Reform, to the Vietnam War, with citizens still suffering from its fallout. This family story is told by a landowning mother of six children who is forced to flee during the communist Land Reform in the 1950s; and by her granddaughter in the 1970s, whose family is on the front lines. This stunning novel entails family separation and reunification in both decades, depicting the acts of cruelty and kindness experienced by so many. Quyen Ngo narrates the audiobook and is absolutely fantastic! Her delivery captures the mood of each scene, whether it is suspenseful, heartbreaking, or heartwarming. ‘The Mountains Sing’ is a breathtaking depiction of persistence, family, and healing and one of the best books I have read this year!

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I feel like I should say, “It’s me not you”, I will admit that I did some skimming. I simply was not able to keep track of the characters. Was Guava the grandma or was Hoang all three? I am confused. That is part of MY problem with listening to audio books. I struggle to stay focused. There we have, "It's me not you".

The narration in the audio was great and I loved hearing the pronunciations of the Vietnamese names and words.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced readers copy. This audio version was released in March, 2020.

This was a beautifully written tale spanning generations of a Vietnamese family experiencing the heartbreak and tragedy that their country endured for decades.

There were so many noteworthy themes of this: family, poverty, the Vietnam War told from the point of Vietnamese. I loved most the descriptions of this family who struggled to survive and stay united under the most detrimental of circumstances. The narrator of this audio version did an excellent job and I was enthralled by her voice. The only parts I didn’t care for were the singing, but those were few and far between. I recommend this to fans of historical fiction and will using this title for my library book discussion.

The Mountains Sing is a sweeping tale of a family torn apart and a society ravaged by war. This work of historical fiction taught me about the horrors of the Vietnam War and how local families were forever changed. The audiobook narrator helped the unfamiliar phrases and names flow seamlessly with the story and I was glad to read the book in this format. I gained insight into Vietnamese culture and history. This book contained heartbreak at every turn. It was enjoyable overall and the ending pulled things together nicely.

Thank you NetGalley, author, publisher, and narrator for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Mountains Sing is a lush, vividly written, and gripping family saga. The author’s words filled my senses; I could see the towering bamboo forests, smell the unwashed bodies, squalor of poverty, and the reek of a land a world away from the newsreels I watched as a young child in the 1960s and 70s. The author’s lyrical prose elucidated the indomitable human spirit through the voices of two strong women. I appreciated the depiction of the grandmother as a survivor instead of a victim. Few women could have withstood the terrors she did. This book was emotionally draining from beginning to end, opening with a brutal beheading and ending with the tragic death of another family member. I was hoping for a moment of beauty, but there was little more than anguish, hardship, suffering, and death. I never heard the mountains sing.

First there is the Great Hunger of 1944-1945 during which an estimated 1-2 million Vietnamese starved to death. After that readers watch on in horror during the Land Reform (1954-1956) when the property of landowners was redistributed to the poor. About 13,500 landlords and reactionaries were killed. The matriarch of the Tran family spirited her six children out of the North to escape such a fate. The Vietnam War comprised surprisingly little of the plot, although its consequences were still disturbing—bombings,napalm, Agent Orange-related birth defects, and hand-to-hand combat—neither the Viet Cong nor the Allies were vilified.

Although the writing was good, sometimes too much of a good thing is… well… too much. The author covered too many historical events in one work of historical fiction. It was difficult to follow the changing point of view and the split narrative. I listened to the audio version (the narrator was excellent); the book would likely be easier to follow. Since the author is a nonnative English speaker, some idioms and colloquialisms were awkward. This was an ambitious project, and for that, and its educational value, I give The Mountains Sing four stars.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

A riveting story written with lyrical elegance about the heart wrenching, devastating but ultimately hopeful journey of the Tran family, a Northern Vietnamese family that spans 4 generations and 100 years. The story is told by two women, matriarch Dieu Lan born in 1920 and her granddaughter, Huong which picks the story up from 1972 as she’s coming of age. The novel flips back and forth between the two characters in different decades during the major events of 20th century Vietnam. French occupation, The Great Hunger (Vietnamese Famine) of 1945 in Northern Vietnam because of the Japanese Invasion during WWII, the Land Reform, and the Vietnam War. The writing immersed me in this country that my parents grew up rich in culture, language and food.

Vietnamese people are people of true grit and determination, pushed until their breaking point because of constant turmoil.
I have read only a couple of stories about the Vietnam war from authors that considered themselves from the South, meaning they saw the Fall of Saigon in 1975 as the worst lost of their lives, some even committing suicide. Meanwhile, Nguyen gives forth to the northern/mid country families, those that are also torn apart by war.

It is clear that Nguyen has done tremendous research on top of her own family’s history to create this vivid northern Vietnamese family’s journey. I asked my own dad and learn incredible things about my own family. Both of my dad’s maternal & paternal grandparents were wealthy landowners. My grandfather & his father (my great grandfather) were well-educated scholars who could speak several languages including English and French. I believe they did business with the French and instead of wearing traditional Vietnamese clothing, they wore European style clothes. However during the Land Reform, my grandfather and grandmother took their 1 child (my dad’s older brother) and his maternal grandmother and migrated south to escape the riots and murdering. My maternal grandmothers siblings were all murdered in cold blood, apparently nailed to the fig trees on their land. I thought the stories that Nguyen wrote were horrified and often thought “did that really happen? Were people really that evil and horrible?” They were. And it happened to my own linage. My dad was born after their migration. He was born a “Southerner” so the angst that was felt by Tran Family in the novel, was not felt by my dad.

“If our stories survive, we will not die, even when our bodies are no longer here on this Earth.”

Thank you @netgalley & @dreamscapemedia for providing me an audiobook copy. The narrator was able to captivated me in Nguyen’s beautiful writing. It was so brilliant; I purchased my own hardcopy so I can let my family & friends who have been asking to borrow it. I’m not surprised that #themountainssing made it to the She Reads’ best #historicalfiction of 2020!

#TheMountainsSingDreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

This was such a beautiful but heartbreaking story. I loved that it’s told in multi-generation point of view. I was so invested that I had a hard time putting down this audio.

The Vietnamese born and raised author and poet, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, left me thinking long after finishing her first book in English titled, “The Mountains Sing.” I think I was so riveted because this is the first book in a long time that had me thinking about war from the other side’s perspective. She helps us see, up close, the dramatic and traumatic effect that the people of Vietnam experienced as it relates to the Great Famine and the 20-year war. We see mental health issues, political issues as well as classism and sexual abuse trauma.

This is very much a multigenerational book about hope and about those who refuse to give up.
Almost every other chapter pivots between the storytelling of a teenage granddaughter and her grandmother, set in different time periods. It’s the story the author wanted to tell about the grandmother she didn’t have (hers died in the 1940s during the Great Famine).

The word “mountains” in the title represents the Vietnamese people while the word “sing” is a symbol for celebration.

I highly recommend this book for those who like historical fiction and learning about other #ownvoices and cultures. It’s also a beautiful epic tale, told through the eyes of two very powerful female characters.

The narrator of the audiobook, Quyen Ngo, is amazing and I was grateful to listen to her voice. Without her exquisite pronunciations, I know I would have had a different experience with the text. There's is a lot of dialogue in this book and her character voices were unique and captivating.

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley, for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my review.

A story of family, war, hardship, and hope told through two characters at different times in Vietnam. In the 1950s, Dieu Lan must leave her home and make a new life for her family during the rise of Communism and land reform. During the Vietnam conflict, her granddaughter, Huong, tells the story of living in Hanoi. A powerful story of strength and love, offering different perspectives during a troubling time.

The audiobook was wonderfully narrated.

This was a beautifully written story with descriptions that brought me into the Vietnam landscape and the lives of the characters. I liked having the dual timelines in the story, and I felt that both characters were easy to connect with. I really enjoyed the audio and felt that the narrator brought the story to life!

I think this is a perfect story for readers that enjoy emotional journeys from historical fiction!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Wow! What a remarkable story. Set in the years leading up, during, and after the Vietnam War, this is a story of family, courage, survival, hope, and love. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. The narration of the audiobook was fantastic. I switched back and forth between the audiobook and ebook and I did think it was sometimes hard to differentiate the changes in point of view from the grandmother and granddaughter, but it was easier to follow these differences while reading rather than listening. I sped through it and was on the edge of my seat constantly. Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a beautiful way to learn about the contemporary history of Vietnam. Through the various generations of a family you come to understand the devastating effects of the wars and the aftermath. Not just the physical destruction, but the emotional toll as well. Although I was a little put off by the foreshadowing tropes at the beginning, I was soon deeply immersed in the story.

I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. Although I can’t personally vouch for the accurateness of the language pronunciation, the use of the native language added substantially to the audiobook experience.

An epic tale that spans generations in Việt Nam throughout the communist rising, the Việt Nam War, and their aftereffects on a large extended family. The words in Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's first English novel flow like poetry and Quyen Ngo's beautiful voice adds a softness to a story of brutal wartime violence in the audio book version of this beautiful story. The audiobook also lets you experience the sound and pronunciation of Vietnamese names and phrases which I wouldn't have known if reading the written version of the book. This heartbreaking story was difficult to listen to at times but I learned a lot about the history of Việt Nam, from a different and eye-opening perspective than we usually hear in North America. I was very touched by the resilience, compassion, love and loyalty of all the family, friends and neighbors in the story and would highly recommend it to everyone!

A beautifully written family saga about a Vietnamese family and three generations of conflict and love. The audiobook was well narrated and engaging.

A truly incredible historical novel about the Vietnam war, truma and survival of one family. Audiobook highly recommended.

I love the idea of reading the world while I'm stuck at home due to travel restrictions. What an epic way to experience the world - and this novel is an epic way to do this. The Mountains Sing is a truly special novel which I will definitely be coming back to in the future.

This book tell the story of a fictional Trần family very much affected by the Vietnam war. I loved not only the raw and emotional story, but also the very deep, underlaying issues - consequences of a global armed conflict on 'normal' people, a family with its many difficulties and struggles even without a war hanging over their heads. It's a tale of family, generational differences, the power of helping one another. And all this is packaged in a beautifully written novel.

In addition, I was lucky to listen to the audiobook varsion, which was a major hit for me. The narrator did an outstanding job conveying the feelings and the trauma experienced by the characters. I cried multiple times - which is, of course, a fair warning for anyone who may not be in the right place to listen to this heartbreaking tale.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest rveiew.

The Mountains Sing is an intergenerational family story set across major changes in Vietnamese history, from the French colonial period, through the Vietnam War, to present day.

As someone who is unfamiliar with Vietnamese history, I found this book to be very comprehensive in tying together the different historical changes, and showing the effects it had on people. What I also loved about this book is that the characters felt very human in their trials and tribulations, and their celebrations. Both good and 'bad' people alike all experience the effects of the war and other moments in history.

Since, I listened to the audiobook for NetGalley, I wanted to comment on this specific format as well. I'm so glad that a Vietnamese narrator was brought into do the reading. I appreciated the authentic pronunciations of the character names, places, and other Vietnamese terminology used in the book. I do wish that I had the physical copy to read alongside the audiobook, because I've heard that the book shows the correct spelling with all of the accents and inflections. As a listener, I feel like I am missing out on that a bit. Sometimes the characters felt a bit similar and I couldn't tell them apart. I'm not sure if that is the reading per say or if that is a critique I would have of the book itself.

Otherwise, I still highly recommend this because I don't think I've read such a comprehensive story set in Vietnam. I also love how the story tied up really well.

The story of the Viet Nam multi generation Tran family from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. Present day, the matriarch Tran Dieu Lang is home with her granddaughter Huong and she relates the horrific story of how her family was evicted from their farm during Land Reform and how they were hunted with instructions to kill. The Vi Nam fought for Independence against the French, then against the Japanese, and finally against the Americans and South Vietnamese. What stands out constantly throughout the book is the unconditional love and support the Tang family had for one another. Author is a poet and you can sense it with her lyrical writing. Very well done. I listened to the book and did find the back and forth in the generations a little difficult.

I was lucky enough to get both the ALC and the e-ARC version of this book. I ended up listening to this book and I’m so happy I did. This book was a whirlwind, but only in the best way. It’s the story more American’s need to hear, to realize the damaged done during the Vietnam war. This book is a family saga, however you see it from the granddaughter’s point of view with the grandmother’s wrapped into it. We see Vietnam before the war, when the two sides started to become hostile to each other, we see how Communism takes roots and the devastating after effect of it. We watch as the grandmother, a mother of six kids, widowed and forced from her home to run, her world ripped apart. She is forced to make hard choices, leaving five of the six kids with trustful people. And we see the granddaughter as she grows up during the war, how she is raised by her grandmother as her parents are off fighting. We see the trauma again and again of this family and how it splits them apart only for them to slowly come back together again. I didn’t expect to the twist and the ending left me in tears. I had to listen to this slowly simply because the amount of trauma that this book features. I don’t recommend if you can’t do trigger warnings at this time. Wait until your in a better mind set. I won’t list them all but simply think what comes with the horror of war and chemical warfare.
The narrator was amazing. She brought this story alive and made the difficult parts just slightly more bearable, knowing you weren’t being forced to see these events alone. She brought the language to life instead of letting those unfamiliar with it falter at the words. She managed to capture each character flawlessly, instead of being one noted and only being able to pull of the main character. It felt seamless and heightened the experience for me and reduced me to tears. I highly recommend this book and more so the audiobook, even for those who are picky when it comes to them.

This is such a captivating beautiful story. A multigenerational family story that is tragic, hopeful and chock full of history. I was immediately drawn in and loved seeing the views of the characters stories and lives.

This was a beautiful multigenerational story about the Tran family, set against the Vietnam War. This story was heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time as you read about that characters struggles to keep their family together and the triumphs they have. I love reading stories that connect a family across generations from the multiple points of view.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was wonderful. The emotions really came alive with her tone and voice b

Nguyen Phan Que Mai has written an epic masterpiece. Never have I read an account of the Vietnam war (truth be told, the war in all of Southeast Asia) that is able to describe both the broad impact of the Vietnamese people and the most intimate detail, of a single Vietnamese person. The Mountains Sing takes the reader through the times before the war during the war and just after. The story of the Tran family is lyrically told through three generations - sometimes in the present and sometimes through the use of flashback/storytelling. A daily activity as simple as cooking is described with such reverence and fondness that you can nearly smell the food yourself. We feel the torment of waiting to see if your loved ones would return from war, the pain of morning those who did not return and hopelessness in watching the terror in the eyes of those who did. I listened to the audiobook, which provided me with the sound of the language in my ears - another treat. This is a book that deserves a second reading to savor what I enjoyed and take in anything I may have missed in this layered offering. My thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free copy of the audio book.

This is such a beautiful story, tragic and hopeful, historic and full of family. Following the story of a family from 1950's to present, I found myself hoping and praying for good things to happen in the lives of this family. The writing was beautiful, and the narration for the audiobook added a level of understanding that I don't think I would have had if I'd read the book myself. Quyen Ngo added so much to this story, I found myself caught and held, not wanting to turn the book off.

The Mountains Sing is a beautifully written account of a Vietnam's past during the Land Reform and the rise of Communism in North Vietnam which ultimately led to the Vietnam War. The novel tells the story of a grandmother who grew up during the Land Reform who had to flee her home, as her family were wealthy land owners. The other part of the story tells of the granddaughter who grew up during the Vietnam War. The novel goes back and forth between the two stories until the stories intersect towards the end of the novel. The author did a fantastic job and I highly recommend this book.

As an American History teacher, I teach about the Vietnam War but have never heard it from the North Vietnamese side, even if the story is fiction. Their thoughts and feelings and emotions resonate throughout the book, so much so, that I thought this was a true account from the author. I loved hearing it from this side of history. I loved listening to it because there is some Vietnamese in the book. I enjoyed hearing it rather than skimming over it, as I would have done if I had read it. It was confusing at some points because each chapter switched between the grandmother and granddaughter and time period. While the time period was laid out at the beginning of the chapter, it was difficult starting and stopping and remembering who's story I was listening to. Overall, this book was fantastic and the author did a wonderful job.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Narrated by: Quyen Ngo
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North.

Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart.
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Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope. The Mountains Sing is celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's first novel in English. 
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Thank you to @NetGalley @dreamescape_media for the audiobook ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
So, let me take a deep breath, because this story was hard to listen to but I couldn’t stop. Overall,the narrator was okay, but what I appreciated was the authenticity of having Ngo narrate. We were able to hear the Vietnamese words, names and saying in their true forms that added more reality to the story. As much as this book is considered fiction, I know that this story was a reality to a lot of Vietnamese, especially the Trần family’s stories of struggle, sacrifice and abuse. “The Mountains Sing is celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's first novel in English.” This book truly was poetic, lyrical, sad and heartbreaking. But, it was also a story of human resilience. Above all else, it was a stark reminder to be compassionate, kind and generous. As a fan of historical fiction, this maybe the best book I’ve read in this genre. 🚨Huge trigger warnings.

4.5*
Vietnam is a country with a history of invasions and wars. Long ago they were forced to live under the Chinese, later the French and then the Americans in the sixties and seventies. At the end of the Vietnam War, the communists took control of the unified north and south. Instead of bringing peace and stability, the people of this beleaguered country were left to deal with further oppression.

The book opens as the war with America is winding down, Tran is trying to save her granddaughter’s life by fleeing to the countryside. But this is not the first time Tran has been on the run. In an alternate timeline, we find Tran fleeing with her 6 young children when the communists first came to power in the North. The trek is difficult and she is forced to abandon some of her children along the way. Her story unfolds alongside the later timeframe that details Tran’s granddaughter’s adjustment to life under communism.

The human toll on members of Tran’s family is heart-wrenching and moving. It is a story of humans trying to survive oppression but as with many brutal societies, people are often willing to turn on former neighbors and friends out of spite or to benefit themselves. Tran’s family has undergone various separations and injuries but at the core, the pull of the family bond is strong and helps the damaged ones overcome their inner trauma. A stunning story of resilience and family.

The audiobook is beautifully done and the narrator adds to the setting with her wonderful reading.

"The Mountains Sing", by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is the multi-generational family saga of the Trần family, set in Vietnam, between the 1920's and the 1980's. It is a dual-timeline story that follows the lives of Diệu Lan, starting in the 1920s, and of her granddaughter Hương, in the 1970's-1980's. Those 50-60 years are very rich in terms of Vietnamese history, encompassing part of the French colonial era, the Japanese Invasion, the Land Reform, and the Vietnam War and its aftermath. As we follow the lives of these two main characters and their other family members, we learn of how these historical events affected the people of Vietnam and the lasting effects war and oppressive political regimes have on generations of people. Both stories are extremely captivating, and I was very immersed in the book every time I delved in it.

The narrator, Quyen Ngo , did a wonderful job with the audiobook. Her narration was full of passion, and really did justice to the turbulent life stories of Diệu Lan and her granddaughter, Hương. There were times when I felt that it may have been a good idea to have two different narrators for the two different timelines, mainly because both stories were told in first person perspective and it was easy to feel they were sometimes spilling into one another in the audio format. However, that overall did not take away from the enjoyment I felt listening to the story. Also, while I do not speak Vietnamese, I felt the narrator's pronunciation of Vietnamese words and phrases was authentic, and helped immerse me even more in the story every time I listened to it.

"The Mountains Sing" is definitely one of my favorite books from 2020 and I highly recommend it to fans of family sagas and historical fiction. After listening to this audiobook I feel that I have learned so much about the history and rich culture of Vietnam, all while being emotionally invested in the fates of well crafted characters. Thank you to both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to it in exchange for an honest review.