Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Mountains Sing cover art

The Mountains Sing

Written by: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Narrated by: Quyen Ngo
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $45.44

Buy Now for $45.44

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner's In the Shadow of the Banyan, 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. The Mountains Sing is celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's first novel in English.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

What listeners say about The Mountains Sing

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    87
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    87
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

What a lovely story, filled with love for family and friends.
It sheds a light on the cruelty of war and the endurance of love

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Breathtakingly Beautiful

This story wove together generations of a family bound by deep sorrow, yet even deeper convictions of resiliency, love, and survival. Beautifully written and performed. Highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing book

Well worth the listen. Beautiful narration and mesmerizing story. I almost cried many times. The author has done an amazing job.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this!

I enjoyed this story very much and learned a lot about Vietnam history. It was quite an eye opener to hear how the American war in Vietnam affected the country from the perspective of a northern family. As well, I had no previous knowledge of the land reforms of the 50s and the injustice that the land owners faced. I liked how the author went back-and-forth between the two eras to illustrate how hardships affected the characters. Parts of the story were a bit too unrealistic at times, but if they weren’t, it would’ve been too depressing.
The narrator did a great job. Her pronunciation of the word ‘sword’ bothered me, but she did better than I would with the Vietnamese language, haha!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful

One of the most powerful, heartbreaking human and hopeful stories I have read. A beautiful, strong family telling a story of resilience, love and devastating humanity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

emotional and immersive

Incredibly emotional story enhanced by a fantastic and well-suited narrator. A must listen for those with roots to Vietnam, or those wanting a Vietnamese perspective of war and occupation in Vietnam

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Language

I enjoyed the store very much. Not being familiar to Vietnam or the language I found it a bit difficult to follow the names or paths taken. It would be much better reading a book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A tremendous tale of true generational hardship

The only problem with it is the single narrator delivery. Her performance is good but the story constantly changes protagonists from granddaughter to grandmother and through over 40 years of history it can make the beginning of each chapter a little disorienting, a separate narrator for each main character would clean up the books in flow a lot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

A beautiful portrayal of a Vietnamese family. Well worth the listen. I learned so much

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An exceptional memior

An absolutely brilliant book. One feels as though you are seeing thru another's eyes. This stands among the best of the best. Thank you for the experience, dear author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!