The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This is honestly one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking historical fiction books I've read. The Mountains Sing is set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam War in the 1970s, and follows the story of one family. Through the eyes of young Huong and her grandmother, we jump back and forth as Huong's grandmother recounts the traumas and hardships of World War II and the invasion by the Japanese, the rise of the Communists, Land reform that brought her family to Ha Noi.

The storytelling is rich and beautiful, interwoven wih Vietnamese proverbs that the author has worked to translate for the reader, whilst still keeping the original translations so the readers can appreciate the beauty of the Vietnamese language.

It is by no means an easy read as it comes with a lot of trigger warnings as it centres on war, plunder, violence and brutality committed against and between the Vietnamese people. It's a story of deep divisions, but also of journeys to heal, to forgive. It speaks of resilience, of family, love and hope.

Huong and her grandmother Dieu Lan were the central figures in the narrative and two incredibly strong women. I loved that this multigenerational story put their relationship and bond at the centre of the narrative.

This book will almost certainly stay with me for a long time to come and I think it's absolutely a must read for everyone because of the beauty of the writing, but also of the historical narrative it tells. The history of the Vietnamese people through their own voices. Without a doubt one of the best historical narratives I've read in a long while!