Today is my stop on the Random Things blog tour for Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai.
Here is the synopsis:
In 1969, two sisters from rural Việt Nam leave their parents' home and travel to the bustling city of Sài Gòn. Soon their lives are swept up in the unstoppable flames of a war that is blazing through their country. They begin working as 'bar girls' in one of the drinking dens frequented by American GIs, forced to accept that survival now might mean compromising the values they once treasured.
Decades later, two men wander through the streets and marketplaces of a very different Sài Gòn: modern, forward-looking, healing. Phong – the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman – embarks on a search to find his parents and a way out of Việt Nam, while Dan, a war veteran, hopes that retracing the steps of his youth will ease the PTSD that has plagued him for decades.
When the lives of these unforgettable characters converge, each is forced to reckon with the explosive events of history that still ripple through their lives.
My thoughts
This is a breathtaking novel that has been impeccably researched. I found myself completely absorbed in this book and particularly liked the way that it moves between the different perspectives and timeframes of the characters as it is like having a behind the scenes look.
As Phong looks for his heritage, Dan is trying to make peace with his past and their stories converge. It is a beautifully told book that I did not want to put down.
Highly recommended.
5 stars
Thank you to Random Things tours for including me on the tour. You can follow the other stops on the tour here:
