Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the copy of this book.

"Ours is not a war for bloodthirsty men to tear each other apart. Ours is a war to restore justice. No woman would fight for the sake of the fight, and every one of us is in it for the cause."

Bronze Drum is a re-telling of the Trung sisters, Vietnamese warriors who led a rebellion against the Chinese Han dynasty around 40 AD. It's not only a battle story - it's the story of their life and history under Han rule, with family and lovers and friendship and challenges that built their character. While this story is rooted in history, Phong Nguyen did an excellent job of building up the supporting fictional elements to really highlight the impact of the Chinese colonialism and patriarchy on the Vietnamese culture. He even distinguishes exactly who is historical and fictional at the end of the book. Bronze Drum is inspirational as well as informative, and an absolutely excellent read for lovers of strong women.