Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage

Book Club: The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Thursday, 5/21/2020
7:00 - 8:00
Virtual Library
Address

United States


We partner with hoopla Digital to bring you a special Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month/Shelter in Place edition of our On the Same Page city-wide read.

The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart.

Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, is a Vietnamese poet and author of eight books, this is her first novel in English. Quế Mai is one of a relative few authors now bringing Vietnamese literature to a wider English-speaking audience, and to me her story felt like opening a door in a way I’ve rarely experienced before in a book.

Born into the Vietnam War in 1973, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai grew up witnessing the war’s devastation and its aftermath. She worked as a street seller and rice farmer before winning a scholarship to attend university in Australia. She is the author of eight books of poetry, and her writing has been translated and published in more than ten countries, most recently in Norton’s Inheriting the War anthology. For more information about Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, visit her at www.nguyenphanquemai.com

The meeting link will be sent the day of the event. 

Reservations required: https://bit.ly/OTSPMay20

Book Cover


Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Interest
Connect with AANHPI heritage with programs and workshops, book recommendations and more.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

Read, discuss ideas and connect through the many book clubs hosted by SFPL.

On The Same Page is a bimonthly city-wide read.


This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.


Attending Programs

For questions about the program or help registering, contact sfplcpp@sfpl.orgAll programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL or language interpretation), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.


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The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.