72 pages 2 hours read

The Mountains Sing

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Book Club Questions

General Impressions

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence and death.


Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.


1. The Mountains Sing presents a multigenerational story of a Vietnamese family spanning decades of turbulent history. How effectively do you think the author balances the personal and historical aspects of the narrative? Did you find yourself more invested in the characters’ individual stories or in learning about Vietnamese history?


2. How does this novel compare to other multigenerational family sagas like Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club? What similarities or differences did you notice in how these authors present the intersection of personal stories with historical events?


3. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai wrote this novel in English rather than her native Vietnamese, in which her previous books were written. How does this choice align with her work as a translator and her stated intentions in “bringing Vietnamese and Americans together” (Christianson, Paul. “Writer Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Brings Vietnamese-English, North-South Closer.” Saigoneer, 2018)?

Personal Reflection and Connection

 Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.


1. Many characters in the novel face impossible choices to protect their families. Which character’s decisions resonated most with you, and have you ever faced a difficult choice that required sacrifice for someone you love?


2. What stories from your own family have shaped your understanding of yourself and your heritage?


3. What objects in your life hold significant symbolic or emotional meaning for you?


4. Forgiveness plays a crucial role in the novel, especially when Diệu Lan must decide whether to accept Tâm despite his connection to Wicked Ghost. What approaches to forgiveness have you found most meaningful in your own life, particularly when it comes to forgiving someone related to a person who has caused harm?


5. What books or stories have helped you through challenging periods in your life?


6. Throughout the novel, characters often struggle with feelings of guilt over past actions or inactions. Have you experienced similar feelings of guilt, and how did you work through them?

Societal and Cultural Context

 Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.


1. The novel portrays the devastating effects of political ideologies when they divide families and communities. What insights does The Mountains Sing offer about how ordinary people navigate ideological conflicts, and how relevant are these insights to contemporary political divides?


2. Throughout the novel, characters experience various forms of displacement and migration. What might these experiences teach us about refugee and immigrant experiences today?


3. What elements of Vietnamese cultural preservation stood out to you in the novel?

Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.


1. The narrative alternates between Hương’s first-person perspective in the 1970s and Diệu Lan’s story from earlier decades. In what ways does this dual-timeline structure enhance your understanding of both characters and the historical context?


2. In what ways does the author use character names to develop themes or foreshadow events throughout the novel?


3. Birds appear repeatedly as symbols throughout the novel, from their absence before bombings to the wooden Sơn ca bird. What different meanings do birds take on throughout the narrative, and how do these symbols contribute to the novel’s themes?


4. What role do Vietnamese oral traditions, proverbs, and folktales play in enriching the narrative?


5. Which character’s development did you find most compelling in the novel? What challenges or experiences prompted that development?


6. Consider the novel’s conclusion in 2017, with Hương burning her manuscript at her grandmother’s grave. Why do you think the author chose this ending, and what statement might she be making about memory, history, and storytelling?

Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.


1. If you were to write a letter to one character in The Mountains Sing, who would you choose and what would you say to them?


2. Which minor character’s perspective would you most want to explore in an additional chapter of the novel?


3. Which three events from your own family’s history would you prioritize documenting for future generations?


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