Narrated by the young daughter of a prominent female Vietnamese Communist Party luminary, this debut novel covers her life from her earliest childhood memories in 1993 to her own (surrogate) motherhood in New York City, more than twenty years later. The plot is certainly not difficult to follow although there are hints along the way of dark secrets that are only clarified much later. Tragic deaths, graphic violent sexual encounters, and abandonments are plentiful, leading to constant self-assessments and existential angst with no easy answers to tough questions..
The life of political outcasts confined to an old army base near Ho Che Min City is starkly portrayed and contrasted with the hustle and bustle of New York.
Is this an autobiography in spite of the standard disclaimer that “This book is a work of fiction”? Instead of the usual claim that any resemblance of characters to real people is coincidental, the disclaimer here goes on to say “Any references to historical events, real people or real locals are used fictitiously.” And the author’s life arc is eerily similar to that of the narrator, from Vietnam to New York and back.
Despite her masterful, lyrical, almost poetic first person singular narrative writing, there are several grammatical errors that betray the fact that English is not this author’s first language. “When we walk pass.”, “I regretted my early restrain from touching….”, “Arms of darkness….pushed you down deeper into comatose, into dreams.”, “I lied down.”
Where was the copy editor and grammar checker?
Memorable quotes abound. “The most important question about success-the one you should ask yourself- are you ready, when the day comes, to stand alone?”, “I was afraid of anything I couldn’t just walk away from.”
I quite enjoyed this book. It occurred to me that perhaps, given the constant self-doubt, introspection, and the sensual detail, it may be more appealing to women readers, or am I just gender stereotyping?
The Passionate Reader 