Let's talk about Nguyen Phan Que Mai's book "Quando le montagne cantano"Additionally, we will choose the new book of the month together from three titles.
A country at war. A divided family. A story of courage and hope. From their shelter in the mountains, little Huong and her grandmother Dieu Lan hear the roar of American bombers and see the glow of fires ravaging Hanoi. Until that moment, for Huong, the war was the shadow that sucked her parents in, and now that shadow is enveloping her and her grandmother as well. Back in the city, they discover that their house is completely destroyed, yet they are not discouraged and decide to rebuild it, brick by brick. And to instil confidence in her granddaughter, Dieu Lan begins to tell her the story of her life: of the years on the family estate under the French occupation and during the Japanese invasions; of how everything had changed with the advent of the communists; of her desperate flight to Hanoi without food or money and her decision to abandon her five children along the way, in the hope that, sooner or later, they would find each other. And so it had happened, for she had never lost heart. By the time the new house is ready, the war is over. The veterans return from the front and Huong too can finally embrace his mother, Ngoc. But she is a very different woman from the one she remembered. The war has stolen her words and it will be up to Huong to give her a voice, to help her free herself from the burden of too many secrets... The saga of a family that unfolds throughout the 20th century, in a country divided and marked by famine, wars and revolutions. Three generations of strong women, facing life with courage and determination. A powerful and lyrical story at the same time, reminding us of the value of family ties and the obstacles we are willing to overcome to remain close to the people we love.