Dust Child set in Vietnam

Submitted: 3rd April 2023

This is a book you need to read. One that completely blew me away to be honest. It’s a story that flips expectation and accepted history on its head. Set in Vietnam, its the story of how American soldiers and Vietnamese women had relationships and children during war time. What happened when the war was over?

Honestly – read this book, it’s very thought-provoking.

BookTrail Travel to Dust Child

Boarding Pass Information: Vietnam

Author guide: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Genre: war fiction

Food and drink to accompany: Vietnam food of course!

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BookTrail Travel to Dust Child

As soon as I saw the stunning cover and read the intriguing title, I wanted to read this book. I found out that the Dust Child of the title is a child born to American soldiers and Vietnamese women during the war. Some of these children would have been wanted but of course other would have been the result of rape.

This is from the author of The Mountains Sing, so you know you are in good hands with the scene setting and the writing. She is of Vietnamese heritage herself so who better than to write a novel which explores families, family stories, the need to belong and to heal than her?

There is a lot to explore in this novel. There’s several threads to the story which makes it all the more intricate and real. In the first we meet teenage sisters who move from the country to the city. They want to send money home to their poor families but they get involved with visiting soldiers and their stories take on a whole new direction. My gosh – the range and style of writing here really got me. So emotional and raw. Their lives are so far removed from mine yet I felt as if I was right there beside them.

BookTrail Travel to Dust Child

There’s one character called Phong who I really felt compelled to befriend. He doesn’t know his father but fights his corner to be accepted in his own country and later, America. He really affected me and I can’t stop thinking about his story – even though I read the book a little while ago.

The last thread was interesting – now we see the point of view of one of the Americans. How did your typical American feel – so far from home and in a very different culture. It made me think and the threads all combined to make a really circular narrative.

It was very clever of the author to paint a full and compelling picture with so many viewpoints, stories and threads. they say you can’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes and I think this book really proves that point.

This might be a story of war, survival and occupation but it’s ultimately a story of humanity and hope.