The Colors of April: Fiction on the Vietnam War’s Legacy 50 Years Later in Play Book Tag

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May 24, 2025 Jen Mays rated it really liked it

Shelves: collection, fiction, short-stories, strong-women, survival, vietnam, translated

A fascinating collection of short stories that paint a vivid picture of life after the Vietnam War for the citizens there. This anthology, written by various authors, dives into the physical and mental conditions of survivors and the changing landscapes of a country torn apart.

One thing I loved about this collection is the variety of storytelling styles. Some stories are practical and straightforward about daily life, while others have a more spiritual or lore-like feel, echoing oral traditions A fascinating collection of short stories that paint a vivid picture of life after the Vietnam War for the citizens there. This anthology, written by various authors, dives into the physical and mental conditions of survivors and the changing landscapes of a country torn apart.

One thing I loved about this collection is the variety of storytelling styles. Some stories are practical and straightforward about daily life, while others have a more spiritual or lore-like feel, echoing oral traditions that show the deep bond between the land and its people. Some tell about the generations that came after and were born elsewhere, while others about those that were there throughout and remained after the guns and bombs stopped. This mix adds depth to the reading experience, giving different perspectives on the war's lasting impact.

One negative with this book, and it was of my own making and absolutely no fault of the book itself, was that I listened to this on audiobook. The voice actor was amazing and deserves high praise, but my unfamiliarity with the Vietnamese language was a bit of a challenge. For stories that had a lot of place and people names in Vietnamese, I would find myself struggling to associate the unfamiliar sounds with characteristics in order to follow along, and I feel that there were elements of the story lost on me as a result of me trying to connect the dots. If this had been a full-length book, I likely would have been able to pick that up better through repetition as the story developed, but in short stories, there is only so much time before we’ve moved on to the next place or character, so there wasn't enough time for me to make these associations. If I revisit this book, I'll definitely pick up the print version.

While the experiences of Western soldiers and their families dealing with the Vietnam War’s impact are important, it's crucial to remember that there are many other stories to tell, and that we ensure we’re learning those stories as well. This collection helps give voice to those stories to remind us that war isn’t an ideology or an abstract, and that just because these stories are fiction, the experiences shaping those stories were very real. ...more

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Oct 15, 2024 Kathy Stone marked it as to-read

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