February Book Review: The Mountain Sings
Joanna Ryerse is an English literature teacher living in London and our book reviewer for February. She talked to us about The Mountain Sings by Nguyen Phan Que Mai, the unflinching violence, the powerful feminine protagonists, and the strength of the writing.
“I love a thought-provoking book that delves into what it means to be human” ponders Joanna when asked about her love for reading. “I’d describe myself as a deep thinker, really interested in humanity and who we are as a society. It’s fascinating to me and I find that literature really helps me explore some of the more philosophical questions I have. I never get answers, but the books I read teach me so much about history and empathy, and help me relate to others”.
Joanna Ryerse is an English literature teacher in her mid-twenties, living in London. She loves history, culture, art. But literature in particular always had a special place in her heart.
A Bookstagram as Creative Outlet
Like so many others, she started her Bookstagram account during the lockdown. For her, it was a “creative outlet”, giving her something constructive to do with her time.
“I love reading thought-provoking texts and going through the process of digesting my feelings about something and then writing about it. It feels like a happy medium between reading for enjoyment and reading for university/work” she smiles happily.
And as a bonus, she loves how books can be great conversation starters, “which, as someone who is quite socially anxious, you can never have too many of!”.
Joanna loves historical fiction, and books exploring the human condition. Some of her all-time favorites are work like Small Island by Andrea Levy, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, or Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo.
Literature born of war
But for our February book review in Mooi, she decided to go with The Mountain Sings by Nguyen Phan Que Mai.
“I love literature that has been born because of war, it’s my passion and I have always wanted to go to Vietnam because of its rich history, culture, and notoriously matriarchal society. The Mountain Sings by Nguyen Phan Que Mai just felt like the perfect way to figuratively travel to Vietnam and delve into its history” she reflects.
“I think the strength is the writing. It’s so beautifully written that every page comes alive”
The novel tells the powerful stories passed down from a grandmother in the 1940s-50s to her granddaughter in the 1970s. It is set over decades of political unrest in Vietnam and teaches much about their violent history without glamourizing it.
For Joanna, the book truly explores different strands of violence: violence towards women, the violence of war, and the violence of political ideology. It also explores family, tradition, and culture through generational divides and similarities.
“I think the strength is the writing. It’s so beautifully written that every page comes alive. The dual-narrative and the crossing over of time between chapters adds such depth to the story” reflects Joanna.
Women as “survivors, innovators, and warriors”
For Joanna, The Mountains Sing is definitely a feminist novel. The two main protagonists are “some of the strongest women” she’s ever come across in literature.
“Women are shown to be powerful yet powerless; peaceful survivors yet victims of a violent world; a support system for others yet struggling to support themselves”
“They overcome such adversity and still manage to see the humanity in others. It’s commendable”.
The women in the novel are all victims of violence caused by men (apart from one woman who is ominously known as ‘the butcher’), but they are presented as “survivors, innovators, and warriors”.
“The sacrifices we as women make for motherhood, often at our own expense, is also explored so beautifully in this novel. Ultimately The Mountains Sing explores the complexity and often the juxtaposition of women. Women are shown to be powerful yet powerless; peaceful survivors yet victims of a violent world; a support system for others yet struggling to support themselves” Joanna explains.
For her, the story is phenomenally well written. Heartbreaking, yet at the same time hopeful and truly powerful. “This book was everything I could ever hope for in a story, but it’s about human history, so at times it can be brutal, which might not appeal to some people”.
If she has chosen The Mountains Sing for her Mooi book review, it’s because for her it’s rare to find a book that explores history and politics with such powerful female protagonists.
“Vietnam has such a rich background that is so interesting and important to learn about. You feel a real affinity for the family and their story. It’s beautiful, truly a masterpiece!”.
