Dítě prachu – Nguyen Phan Que Mai (2024)

The author of the internationally successful book The Mountains Sing returns with another novel about family secrets, suppressed traumas, and the endless power of forgiveness, which begins during the Vietnam War but continues many years later. ***** In 1969, sisters Trang and Quynh decide to leave their hometown for work in Saigon to help their parents pay off debts. They get jobs at a bar where they are to flirt with American soldiers (and occasionally more) and encourage them to spend as much as possible. It doesn't take long for shy Trang to fall head over heels for a young and charming helicopter pilot named Dan. However, the cruel times do not favor their love. ***** Decades later, Dan returns to Vietnam with his wife Linda. He hopes to heal old wounds and resolve his past secrets. At the same time, Phong, the son of an African American soldier and a Vietnamese woman, is trying to get his wife and two children to the USA, where he hopes to provide a better life for his family. He himself grew up in an orphanage, which he does not have fond memories of. After all, he was the son of the enemy. A child of dust. ***** The author skillfully intertwines the fates of her characters and gradually reveals previously unknown connections to the reader. The protagonists are made to confront the decisions they made in the past...