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The Mountains Sing  By  cover art

The Mountains Sing

By: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Narrated by: Quyen Ngo
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Publisher's summary

With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner's In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War.

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.

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.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Featured Article: The Best Vietnam War Audiobooks, Fiction and Nonfiction


Over the past four decades, many people have written about the Vietnam War in an effort to make sense of the raging debates, the staggering death and destruction, and the lingering trauma. History is often complicated, biased, or missing key information, especially when it comes to war. Arm yourself with comprehensive knowledge of the conflict with our selection of titles detailing the Vietnam War, from fiction to nonfiction, personal stories to histories.

What listeners say about The Mountains Sing

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Fantastic! YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS ONE!

This book is amazing! It hit on every emotion. Was a lovely multi generational story about a loving family who went through hell during the Vietnam War. This story is about the family & the horrors they endured because of the War, but it’s not a war or military story at all. I loved every minute of it & the characters. They were so well developed. I cared about these fictitious people! That’s how good the story is. The narration was impeccable. I highly recommend you take a listen.

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heartbreaking and heartwarming

one of the characters says that if we would read the works of authors from other countries we would get to know them and never wage war on each other. I wish that were true. this is a touching account of life for one farming family in north Vietnam. it is a heartbreaking and heart warming story I am sure I will continue to think about. highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

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Beautiful Story of Vietnam

It took me a while to become fully immersed in the book, but once I did I really loved the story. I was in high school during the Vietnam War and as I've gotten older I have become increasingly interested in the history of the country. The Vietnamese people have a heartbreaking past filled with war and unbelievable loss of lives in their beautiful country. This story captures their strength and the love within their extended families. I highly recommend the book.

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Captivating

I was unaware of the generational hardships inflicted upon the Vietnamese since the 30s. All previous knowledge was from the perspective of the south Vietnamese and what they endured to leave the country after the fall of Saigon. I loved the lyrical nature of the writing. I could truly visualize and smell the flowers and gardens as she described them.

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Beautiful!

Beautiful story, beautifully written and beautifully read. Really glad I purchased this book. Illustrates some of the horror and devastation of war but also very hopeful.

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A story to hold close

The pain, struggle, laughter of a family torn apart but so beautifully written it will always be on my mind. To hear from the author's perspective makes it even more captivating. Highly recommend.

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What an amazing story of family and heritage

At first I struggled to get into this book as I found the first chapters to be a bit confusing as to who or was the point of focus but as the story went on it was clear the story was covering many generations. This delves deeply into family, history, and culture. What an absolutely deep and heartbreaking story.

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Moving

A moving story about the history of the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam War. So much I had forgotten or never knew!

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Now in my top 5

This book is now in my top 5 favorites of all time. The author’s use of poetry in storytelling is beautiful and impactful. I learned so much about the history of Vietnam and how war turns cultured people into the worst of demons. I could not stop listening and never wanted this beautiful story to end.

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Moving

I could not stop listening. What a story of a family torn by war. Beautifully narrated!

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