"Knowledge allows remembering, and remembering is honoring."
I'm not one to stick closely to the daily news cycle. That being said, it has been hard to watch politicians fight over banning books and censoring history, especially as they do nothing to stop school shootings like the one that occurred this week. With so much hate and deceit in the world, it can be hard to remain hopeful. Still, our optimism must remain. How do we keep this positive outlook? I don't pretend to have the answers, but I do see plenty of things that help me maintain an enthusiastic mindset. In the book world, more and more diverse authors are telling their stories, introducing readers to a wider array of realities. Even more promising, it seems like these tales are capturing a broader audience than ever before. Add Cecile Pin's debut novel Wandering Souls into that category. She's written a searing portrait of a family's history through war, immigration, and assimilation. It is the kind of story that demands to be read. One that is powerful and poignant in its perspective.
In the years following the Vietnam War, it is clear to Anh's parents that the promises of a bright future rest outside of their home country. Anh's uncle has taken his family to live the American dream, a dream that Anh's father plans to pursue too. This is a huge, life-changing moment for the family. Anh's parents know that the journey to a better life will be as perilous as it will be rewarding. They send Anh and the other eldest children on the trip to Hong Kong first. They promise that they and the younger siblings will not be far behind. The full family will be reunited in China before embarking on the next leg of their trip. This promise, though, will not be kept. Anh's parents and younger siblings are killed during their travels, leaving the fragmented remains of the family left to journey ahead alone.
Over the next several decades, Anh and her surviving siblings are left to pick up the pieces of their father's shattered dream. They land first in a resettlement camp, a place where they interact with other immigrants, struggling to hold on to their identities. When they finally are placed back into the real world they land not in America, but in the UK. Their new home doesn't offer the bright future they were promised. Instead, the siblings face anti-immigrant hate and systemic social inequality. Instead of coming together, to form their new life, each sibling slowly diverges from the other. Racked with survivor's guilt and a desire to pave their own path, they'll have to reckon with the ghosts of their past to find their way to a brighter future.
I can't give enough praise to this book. I was entranced by the story told in Wandering Souls, and I'm grateful to the publisher for providing me with a copy of it. Cecile Pin has written a novel that deals with the challenges of memory. How do we keep the memory of loved ones alive? How do we honor our past while moving toward the future? These are the things Pin grapples with. The characters in the book give us an insight into the realities of being an immigrant to a foreign country. Pin intersperses the third-person narrative of her main character Anh with the first-person voice of Anh's deceased younger brother. This ghostly voice ties everything that happens in Anh's life to her past, never fully allowing her to escape it. Also included in the narrative are snippets of factual articles from the time, grounding this fiction in the reality of the world it depicts. These elements come together to tell a visceral story of family, love, and loss. Wandering Souls is the best, most important book that I've read this month, and will no doubt be among my favorite reads of the year.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2023, 18)
I work with a guy who escaped Vietnam with his parents when he was just a kid. This book sounds fascinating! I totally want to read it. And I know what you mean about how hard it is to stay positive with all stupid and negative going on in the world. But we got to keep trying!
ReplyDeleteI think we forget how recent this history is! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteWith all the sadness in the news and on social media I like to lose myself in a good book too.
ReplyDeleteThis one amplifies those emotions a bit, but I think it is so important to feel those feelings.
DeleteSounds absolutely heartbreaking, but seems to be a must-read. Very powerful.
ReplyDeleteYou've perfectly captured my feelings about it. Gut-wrenching at times, but such an important story to be shared.
DeleteHeartbreaking. Every turn in that road made it worse
ReplyDeleteI agree, this poor family just couldn't catch a break!
DeleteI enjoyed the journed and even more that they came out of it splendidly in later years.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Despite all the hardships, they were able to find their way to a form of happiness.
DeleteWell said! I'm an eternal optimist who believes in the innate goodness of people, in spite of all the ugly in the world. I truly believe there is more good than evil out there. It's just hard to see sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like this book was a really impactful read. I'd never heard of it before, so thanks for the heads-up!
I'm with you. There is so much good in the world, but often we fail to see it because of all the negative that blocks it from our view.
DeleteI try not to spend much time looking at the news either! It's frustrating and stressful. Sounds like an emotional journey! Glad it to hear it left such a mark, Ethan!
ReplyDeleteMy time is definitely better spent reading a great book!
DeleteI avoid looking at the news too, it seems the only way to keep my BP down most days. This book seems like a must-read but at the same time, heartbreaking too. Powerful themes to dive in to, but i know for me, i would need to be in the gift head space for it. Thoughtful review as always, Ethan — Verushka @ Pop. Edit. Lit
ReplyDeleteChallenging subject matter like this is important to read about, but I agree about needing to me in the correct headspace for it.
DeleteThis sounds like a really incredible read.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get really down about the world I try to think of the long arc of history. Horrible things have have happened int he past and we overcame them (to a certain extent anyway) and we'll get through this too.
Karen @For What It's Worth
Progress always wins out, but it sure can be hard living through it.
DeleteI hadn't heard of this one - def. adding to my TBR! :)
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your review!
DeleteLol, your blind faith in my TBR clearing (and review-writing) skills might be a little misplaced! ;)
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