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Dust Child

By: Que Mai Phan Nguyen
Narrated by: Quyen Ngo
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Publisher's summary

From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam.

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot. Decades later, an American veteran, Dan, returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past.

At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S.

Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Suspenseful, poetic, and perfect for fans of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Dust Child tells an unforgettable and immersive story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies through love, hard-earned wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy.

©2023 Que Mai Phan Nguyen (P)2023 Algonquin Books
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Critic reviews

"Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will win many more readers with her powerful and deeply empathetic second novel. From the horrors of war and its enduring afterlife for men and women, lovers and children, soldiers and civilians, she weaves a heartbreaking tale of lost ideals, human devotion, and hard-won redemption. Dust Child establishes Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai as one of our finest observers of the devastating consequences of war, and proves, once more, her ability to captivate readers and lure them into Viet Nam’s rich and poignant history."—Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Sympathizer and The Committed

"Dazzling. Sharply drawn and hauntingly beautiful."—Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees
"Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai shows us the capacity we hold to confront our pasts, for the purpose of life is not to remain intact, but to break open, to let loss be a guide, to face the echoes of longing. In Dust Child, rupture leads to emotional richness and pain creates the pathways worth walking. I truly cannot wait for the rest of the world to celebrate this book."—Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Know My Name

What listeners say about Dust Child

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Please read this book

This book is so good. It makes you feel so many emotions, and gives a view through fiction of a perspective that Americans rarely, if ever get and is very powerful

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18 people found this helpful

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Beautiful!

Very informative and well written. I loved all the characters that display their human nature and condition. I will look for other books from this author.

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relatable, emotional, informative

A well written story with sympathetic characters. it depicts a most human aspect of American Vietnam war. it is thought provoking and touching. the marathon was expert as well

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What an excellent book

I just love this book. This was a very thoughtful look at other aspects of war.

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Beautiful and moving

Beautifully written and narrated. Although a fictional story, it very much portrayed the struggles and devastation of the Viet Nam War in the eyes of the young American soldiers and the Vietnamese girls; the lost of youth and innocence, love story, and the psychological and physical impacts that the characters endured over the years. As a Vietnamese who immigrated to the US when I was 10, all the Vietnamese proverbs that the author blended throughout the book brought back so many memories that I have forgotten over the years. Dan’s voice at times whining and the frankness of Thien’s voice at times rude and funny, and the northern VN soldier who has Alzheimer later in life (Viet Nam Vet from US, North and South VN) seem to ring so true - the chance meeting of all three, the moving Altar scene… This book takes you on a ride from childhood innocence, bubbling sweet crush, to later years after the war and eventually forgiveness. I found myself love, laugh, cry frustrate, angry and all the emotions in between and could not wait to get to the end. Once in a while you stumbled on a good book that when finished you would read again! I got the hard cover book and used my point to buy the Audible copy. I love the feel of books, but my eyes are not as good as it used to be :( The narrator for the Audible did an excellent job switching between all the different voices and tones in English and Vietnamese.

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21 people found this helpful

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A beautiful story, perfectly read

I couldn’t stop listening to this book! It is set both during the Vietnam war in the 70s (I was a teenager in those years and remember much of the details as described), and also in 2016. It’s a story told from different perspectives… the Vietnamese, American soldiers, and the Amerasian children who were created. It’s a story of war, of poverty, of love, loss, regrets, and forgiveness. Beautifully written and perfectly read. I did at times find it hard to keep some of the names straight but it all came together towards the end.

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Such a compelling story!

A story everyone should read/listen to. Told with sensitivity and honesty. Would highly recommend.

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Rich and beautiful, heartbreaking,&layered telling of events somewhat ignored by history

As many novels do, this started a bit slowly. Stay with it. As the characters are introduced and become intertwined, and their stories begin to mesh and wind, separate and come together in different configurations and relationships. The characters' personalities remain so steady, clear and vivid, it's easy, and valid, to get involved in every aspect of their lives.
The details all flow seamlessly, the author is so knowledgeable and skilled, I not only felt each scene and interaction, but am determined to read other stories about this part of world history.

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Great book!

I Love everything about this book! A must read if you are looking for answers.

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Dust Child Was Captivating

I typically try to play it safe with my monthly credit and steer towards books with many reviews to play it safe, but something about Dust Child called out to me and I purchased it. I was barely able to stop listening once I started. It was captivating, sad, beautiful and so much more. The writing was fantastic, the narrator was perfect, and the story, though fictional, felt very authentic. At the end of the book, the author states that the book took 7 years of extensive research to write, and it shows. I'm glad I listened. Five stars all around.

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