Incense Smoke and Memories

Hương, a young woman in modern Hà Nội, lights incense for her grandmother, Diệu Lan, feeling the presence of her ancestors. The act is both a comfort and a summons, as memories and stories swirl in the smoke. The family's history is marked by scars—literal and emotional—etched by decades of war and upheaval. Through the ritual, Hương senses the weight of her family's past and the wisdom her grandmother once shared: that the challenges faced by the Vietnamese are as tall as mountains, only visible in their entirety from a distance. This opening sets the tone for a novel that is both a personal and national reckoning, where the living and the dead are bound by memory, loss, and hope.

Bombs Over Hà Nội

In 1972, young Hương and her grandmother flee American bombers targeting Hà Nội. The city is transformed into a landscape of rubble, fear, and loss. The pair's desperate search for shelter, the chaos of evacuation, and the devastation left behind are vividly rendered. The trauma is not just physical but psychological, as Hương witnesses death and destruction, and her grandmother's overprotectiveness is revealed to be rooted in past tragedies. The chapter captures the randomness of survival and the resilience required to endure. Even as they return to find their home destroyed, the family's spirit persists, and the seeds of intergenerational storytelling are sown.

The Fortune Teller's Curse

In 1930s Nghệ An, Diệu Lan's privileged childhood is interrupted by a fortune teller's ominous prediction: she will lose everything and become a beggar. Despite her family's wealth and happiness, the curse lingers in her mother's mind, prompting superstitious rituals and a sense of foreboding. Diệu Lan's early years are filled with love, education, and the joys of rural life, but the shadow of fate is ever-present. The fortune teller's words become a lens through which the family's later suffering is interpreted, blending personal destiny with the larger forces of history that will soon upend their world.

Childhood Lost to War

As the Japanese occupation and World War II reach rural Vietnam, Diệu Lan's family is caught in the crossfire. A journey to Hà Nội ends in tragedy when her father is brutally killed by Japanese soldiers. The trauma is compounded by the Great Hunger of 1945, which decimates the village and claims the lives of loved ones. Diệu Lan's resilience is tested as she struggles to keep her children alive, forced to beg and steal to survive. The chapter is a harrowing account of loss, guilt, and the collapse of the old order, as the fortune teller's curse seems to come true.

The Great Hunger

The famine of 1945 is depicted in all its horror: bodies lining the roads, families torn apart, and the social fabric unraveling. Diệu Lan's ingenuity and determination are all that stand between her children and death. The kindness of strangers and the betrayal of neighbors are juxtaposed, illustrating the extremes of human behavior in crisis. The trauma of these years leaves lasting scars, shaping the family's future choices and relationships. The chapter underscores the randomness of fate and the enduring power of maternal love.

Love and Loss

In the aftermath of war and famine, Diệu Lan finds solace in her marriage to Hùng and the birth of her children. Yet happiness is fleeting. The rise of the Việt Minh and the Communist revolution bring new dangers. Hùng's political idealism and eventual murder during the Land Reform shatter the family's fragile stability. Diệu Lan's grief is compounded by guilt and the burden of protecting her children in a world where old certainties have vanished. The chapter explores the tension between personal dreams and historical forces, and the ways love can both heal and wound.

Land Reform's Wrath

The Communist Land Reform of the 1950s unleashes a wave of violence and retribution. Diệu Lan's family, once respected landowners, are denounced, dispossessed, and scattered. Public humiliation, betrayal by former friends, and the execution of loved ones become commonplace. The family's home is seized, and Diệu Lan is forced to flee with her children, abandoning everything. The chapter is a searing indictment of ideological extremism and the human cost of political purges, as well as a testament to the will to survive.

The Family Scattered

As Diệu Lan and her children are forced to split up for safety, each faces their own trials—hunger, illness, exploitation, and loneliness. The narrative follows their parallel journeys, marked by small acts of kindness and moments of despair. The hope of reunion sustains them, but the trauma of separation leaves deep wounds. The chapter highlights the resilience of children and the sacrifices mothers make, as well as the randomness of fate in times of upheaval.

Survival and Reunion

Against all odds, Diệu Lan gradually reunites with her surviving children in Hà Nội. The process is fraught with guilt, forgiveness, and the struggle to rebuild trust. The family's new life is marked by poverty and hard work, but also by the rediscovery of love and laughter. The scars of the past remain, but the bonds of family prove stronger than adversity. The chapter is a celebration of endurance and the possibility of healing, even after unimaginable loss.

The Journey South

As the Việt Nam War intensifies, the family is once again torn apart. Sons and daughters are sent to the front, and those left behind endure bombings, hunger, and uncertainty. Letters and stories become lifelines, connecting the living and the absent. The narrative shifts between the home front and the battlefield, exploring the psychological toll of war on both soldiers and civilians. The chapter is a meditation on absence, hope, and the ways stories can sustain the spirit.

The Weight of Secrets

After the war, the family is reunited, but peace brings its own challenges. Hương's mother returns, broken by her experiences as a battlefield doctor and by a secret she cannot share. The legacy of violence, rape, and abortion is explored with sensitivity, as is the difficulty of communication between generations. The chapter delves into the complexities of forgiveness, the limits of understanding, and the necessity of confronting painful truths in order to heal.

Healing and Forgiveness

Through shared stories, rituals, and acts of care, the family begins to mend. Hương and her mother find common ground, and the wounds of the past are acknowledged rather than hidden. The return of lost relatives, the birth of new children, and the rebuilding of home and community are depicted as acts of resistance against despair. The chapter emphasizes the importance of compassion, patience, and the willingness to see beyond one's own pain.

Generations Reunited

The family's quest to find Uncle Minh, long thought dead or lost in the South, culminates in a bittersweet reunion. Minh's story—his escape, survival, and eventual decline—mirrors the larger history of Vietnam's diaspora and the costs of civil war. The reunion is marked by both joy and sorrow, as old wounds are reopened and new understanding is forged. The chapter explores the meaning of home, the persistence of memory, and the possibility of redemption.

Facing the Past

A pilgrimage to the ancestral village confronts the family with the physical and moral ruins left by decades of conflict. Former enemies are now broken and penitent; the family home is a shell of its former self. The visit is both a reckoning and a release, as forgiveness is extended and the dead are honored. The chapter is a meditation on the cyclical nature of violence and the necessity of breaking its hold through acts of grace.

The Enemy Within

Hương's romance with Tâm, a young man from a neighboring province, is threatened when she discovers his grandfather was the notorious Wicked Ghost who tormented her family. The revelation forces Hương to confront the limits of forgiveness and the dangers of judging individuals by the sins of their ancestors. Through dialogue and reflection, she and her grandmother come to accept that the future need not be determined by the past, and that love can transcend even the deepest wounds.

The Way to Happiness

The family's journey toward healing is marked by small victories: education, marriage, the birth of children, and the writing of their story. The act of storytelling becomes a means of reclaiming agency and asserting the value of their experiences. The chapter is a celebration of resilience, the power of memory, and the importance of passing on lessons learned to future generations.

The Return of Minh

The long-lost Uncle Minh is found, dying but surrounded by family. His story—of survival, regret, and longing—serves as a microcosm of Vietnam's divided history. The reunion is both a closure and a new beginning, as the family comes to terms with the impossibility of undoing the past but the necessity of moving forward together. The chapter is a testament to the endurance of love and the possibility of reconciliation.

Songs for the Future

In the present, Hương and her children honor Grandma's memory by burning the manuscript of their family's story, sending it to the ancestors. The act is both a farewell and a promise: that the lessons of the past will not be forgotten, and that the songs of survival, love, and forgiveness will continue to echo through the generations. The novel ends on a note of hope, as the mountains sing with the voices of those who endured.

Characters

Hương

Hương is the granddaughter who anchors the novel's present, serving as both narrator and inheritor of her family's legacy. Her journey is one of discovery—of her grandmother's past, her mother's trauma, and her own place in a world shaped by war. Sensitive, intelligent, and determined, Hương is both witness and participant, struggling to reconcile the pain of history with the demands of the present. Her relationships—with her grandmother, mother, and lover—are marked by empathy and a fierce desire for understanding. Through her, the novel explores themes of memory, forgiveness, and the power of storytelling to heal.

Diệu Lan

Diệu Lan is the heart of the Trần family, embodying resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. Born into privilege, she endures the destruction of her world through war, famine, and political purges. Her strength lies not just in survival but in her ability to adapt, forgive, and nurture those around her. As a mother and grandmother, she is both protector and teacher, passing on wisdom through stories and songs. Her psychological depth is revealed in her struggles with guilt, grief, and the burden of leadership. Diệu Lan's journey is one of transformation, from cursed child to the "tallest mountain" her family can rely on.

Ngọc (Hương's Mother)

Ngọc is a complex figure, marked by both strength and vulnerability. As a battlefield doctor, she witnesses and endures horrors that leave her emotionally scarred. Her return home is fraught with silence, shame, and the inability to communicate her pain. The revelation of her rape and abortion is a turning point, forcing both her and Hương to confront the limits of empathy and the necessity of forgiveness. Ngọc's arc is one of gradual healing, as she learns to accept love and reclaim her voice. Her relationship with her mother and daughter is central to the novel's exploration of intergenerational trauma.

Hùng (Grandfather)

Hùng is Diệu Lan's beloved husband, whose commitment to justice and democracy ultimately leads to his murder during the Land Reform. His death is a pivotal trauma for the family, symbolizing the destruction of the old order and the dangers of ideological extremism. Hùng's memory endures as a source of inspiration and sorrow, shaping the values and choices of his descendants.

Minh (Eldest Uncle)

Minh's journey—from privileged youth to refugee, soldier, and exile—mirrors the broader history of Vietnam's divided families. His absence is a source of longing and guilt, and his eventual return, dying and broken, is both a closure and a reminder of the costs of war. Minh's story raises questions about loyalty, identity, and the possibility of reconciliation across political and personal divides.

Đạt (Uncle)

Đạt's experiences as a soldier, amputee, and returning veteran encapsulate the physical and psychological toll of war. His struggle with disability, addiction, and self-worth is depicted with nuance, as is his eventual healing through love and family. Đạt's loyalty to his siblings and his capacity for forgiveness make him a stabilizing force in the family.

Thuận (Uncle)

Thuận's death in battle is a recurring source of grief and a symbol of the countless young lives lost to conflict. His letters, full of hope and longing, serve as a poignant reminder of what is at stake in war. Thuận's memory is cherished by his family, and his absence shapes their understanding of sacrifice and loss.

Hạnh (Aunt)

Hạnh is the sibling who tries to hold the family together, often at great personal cost. Her move to the South and her struggles with discrimination and divided loyalties reflect the complexities of postwar Vietnam. Hạnh's arc is one of endurance and quiet strength, as she navigates the demands of family, marriage, and identity.

Tâm

Tâm is Hương's romantic partner, whose family history is entwined with her own through the figure of Wicked Ghost. His kindness, intelligence, and willingness to confront the past make him an ideal partner for Hương. Their relationship is a microcosm of the novel's larger themes: the possibility of overcoming inherited hatred and building a future based on love and understanding.

Wicked Ghost

Wicked Ghost is the antagonist whose actions during the famine and Land Reform haunt the Trần family for generations. His legacy is one of violence, betrayal, and the perpetuation of trauma. Yet his eventual decline and the suffering of his own descendants serve as a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of hatred and the necessity of breaking the cycle.

Plot Devices

Intergenerational Storytelling

The novel's structure is built on the act of storytelling, with Diệu Lan's memories forming the backbone of the narrative. This device allows for a non-linear exploration of history, as past and present are woven together through anecdotes, letters, and rituals. The use of multiple perspectives and timelines creates a tapestry of voices, emphasizing the continuity of experience across generations. Storytelling is depicted as both a survival strategy and a means of healing, enabling characters to process trauma, preserve memory, and assert agency in the face of historical forces.

Symbolism and Motifs

Recurring symbols—incense, the Sơn ca bird, the family necklace, and the act of burning manuscripts—serve as tangible links between characters and eras. These motifs encapsulate themes of loss, resilience, and the transmission of culture. Rituals such as ancestor worship, hair washing, and the sharing of food reinforce the importance of tradition and community, even in times of upheaval.

Foreshadowing and Fate

The fortune teller's curse, repeated proverbs, and the cyclical nature of violence create a sense of inevitability, while also inviting characters to challenge or reinterpret their fate. The novel uses foreshadowing to build tension and to highlight the interconnectedness of personal and national histories.

Letters and Diaries

Letters, diaries, and official documents are used to convey information, express longing, and expose secrets. These texts provide insight into characters' inner lives and serve as catalysts for confrontation and reconciliation. The act of reading and writing becomes a means of asserting identity and reclaiming agency.

Parallel Journeys

The novel frequently juxtaposes the experiences of different characters—mothers and daughters, siblings separated by war, lovers divided by history—to highlight both the uniqueness and universality of suffering and hope. These parallels invite readers to see beyond individual stories to the larger patterns of human endurance.

Analysis

The Mountains Sing is both a sweeping family saga and a national epic, offering an intimate portrait of Vietnam's turbulent twentieth century through the eyes of women who endure, adapt, and ultimately heal. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's novel challenges the official narratives of heroism and victimhood, foregrounding the voices of those—especially mothers and daughters—who bear the brunt of history's violence. The book's central lesson is that survival is not merely a matter of endurance, but of compassion, storytelling, and the willingness to forgive. By weaving together personal and collective memory, the novel insists on the importance of confronting painful truths, breaking cycles of hatred, and building bridges across generations and divides. In a world still scarred by war and displacement, The Mountains Sing offers a powerful testament to the possibility of healing, the necessity of empathy, and the enduring strength of family and culture.

Last updated: March 13, 2026