Dust Child
A Novel
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam.
In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot. Decades later, an American veteran, Dan, returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past.
At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S.
Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Suspenseful, poetic, and perfect for readers of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Dust Child tells an unforgettable and immersive story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies through love, hard-earned wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Best-selling Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai dazzles with this immersive and deeply affecting portrait of three families struggling to comes to terms with the bitter legacy of the Vietnam War. Set in Saigon during the war and 40 years after, the intergenerational story shifts between three interconnected narratives: an American veteran haunted by what he was ordered to do in the conflict, the experiences of several Vietnamese “bar girls” whose families’ lives depended on their ability to “entertain” American soldiers, and the story of a child born to one of those women. Both intimate and universal, Dust Child is a plea for peace—and a powerful reminder that every person is more than their worst decision.