The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is a brutal portrayal of war, famine and death. It's a devasting look at a family and a country torn apart.

The book spans decades and multiple generations of one family. We see their lives change through the Land Reforms of the Communist government, the occupation of the Japanese after WWII and the Vietnam War.

The stories we hear of the Vietnam War are usually those told by American voices, and it's great that this book gives us a female, Vietnamese perspective. It also covered a lot of history from the mid 20th century that I knew little of. I love when historical fiction teaches me about the world and shows me the human side of history.

The Mountains Sing is full of pain and trauma. And as horrifying as much of the content is (it shows some of the worst ways humans treat each other), the book also shines a light on so many positive aspects of humanity.

There's perseverance of the human spirit. We see the reality people living in war torn places face - having to find ways to endure and live through struggles (which seems like too lighthearted of a word to describe what the characters go through over the decades covered in the book).

The book is also a example of enduring love in families. The relationship between the main narrator, Hương, and her grandmother is beautiful and touching.

The Mountains Sing is a devasting and moving book. The story is complex and the writing brilliantly evocative. This book broke my heart again and again, yet I didn't want to put it down.

If you love family sagas and multi-generational novels you'll love this one. I'd also highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical fiction - especially historical stories told from a perspective that's not often shown.