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What Members Thought
Rating = 3.5
Heading = From the Future to the Past to the Present
I had myriad of emotions while reading this heartfelt story. I was grateful to the author for writing a book which focused on the people of the northern part of Vietnam and their need to free themselves from the colonial presences and in the end retained a different yoke on their souls. I was sadden to once again be reminded that war damages people far longer than the conflict itself and is never-ending. I was amazed by the resilien ...more
Heading = From the Future to the Past to the Present
I had myriad of emotions while reading this heartfelt story. I was grateful to the author for writing a book which focused on the people of the northern part of Vietnam and their need to free themselves from the colonial presences and in the end retained a different yoke on their souls. I was sadden to once again be reminded that war damages people far longer than the conflict itself and is never-ending. I was amazed by the resilien ...more
What a beautiful story and one of the best endings to a book (not spoiling anything!) I read this while touring Vietnam and thought it to be an accurate portrayal of the country, Hanoi specifically. I found myself comparing all pho to the Old Man's and telling myself to "find the quiet within" when trying to cross the traffic-heavy street. I would love to see this made into a movie, even though I know screenplays usually don't do novels much justice.
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I'm a huge fan of Gibb's earlier novel, Sweetness in the Belly, and while the setting here is half a world away, her sensitivity to place and culture remains spot-on. The story here is something of a slow, thoughtful unwinding of what it means to be Vietnamese, both in-country and out, past and present, filtered through the steam of a really delicious home-cooked meal. My mouth is definitely watering for pho now, and Gibb's theme of feeling less than heroic in more comfortable times is a resonan
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Mar 02, 2010
Stacey
marked it as to-read
Jun 01, 2010
Kimberly
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Apr 26, 2011
Juliana Philippa
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Aug 08, 2011
Jocelyn
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Dec 11, 2016
Amber
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Dec 30, 2017
Tina
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Dec 31, 2018
Lisa
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Apr 30, 2021
Kirsten Barber
marked it as to-read-soon
