The Mountains Sing by Que Mai Phan Nguyen

 This novel tells the story of a Vietnamese family across decades from the 1920's until the present.  It is shown through the prism of national events, from the time of the French occupation through the famine and time of starvation, through the civil war that torn the country apart for years and the land reform that tore people from their lands and sent them fleeing as refugees.

The main character is Tran Dieu Lan.  She is married with six children when her world falls apart.  Her husband goes off to fight the war.  She gives up her job as a teacher in order to become a trader of food and goods, an occupation frowned on by the government.  When land reform comes and each village is given a quota of land owners to execute, she manages to flee her village and take off with her children to walk the many miles to Hanoi.  On that trip, which takes months, she has to leave her children behind with various organizations and individuals that claim they will take care of each child.  She makes it to Hanoi and eventually manages to set up a household there with her youngest child and go back to reclaim her children.

The story picks up through the voice of her granddaughter, Hu'o'ng.  She is left with her grandmother when her parents, both doctors, are sent off to fight in the war. She sees the discord and bitterness her family is left with as various sides are chosen and brother fights brother.  Some of her relatives return, some never do.  Some come back unharmed physically while others are maimed or changed forever mentally.  

This is an intricate work written in lyrical language.  The author is a poet and that ability shines through in the narration.  She portrays the people and viewpoints succinctly while pointing out the loyalty that family should engender.  I listened to this book and the narrator was a welcome addition. The narration allowed me to hear the correct pronunciation of many of the words and names I would have mispronounced otherwise.  This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.