Welcome to Litsy!

Moving story of how three siblings overcome tragedy and navigate through difficult times. Really enjoyed this one!
#pick #cecilepin #wanderingsouls

Dang Thuy Tram was twenty four when she joined the Vietnam war as a doctor. This is her diary.

This is a first hand account of the war, written during the war which is a rare find and I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, the translation here really let's this diary down. There's be instead of he. Closed instead of close. And while you can use your common sense to rejig the words and sentances, it's makes a tiresome reading experience.

Be sure to resupply your box of tissues before picking this book up 😭 Chantha‘s story is unimaginable and her heartbreak bleeds off the pages. A truly incredible woman. Her recipes give you a chance to clear your eyes before you dive back in. I picked this up because it was a staff recommendation at my local library and now I‘m recommending it to you.

Overall a good read. I bought this upon returning from a trip to Vietnam - visiting places gets me thirsty for content and it gave vividness to the story. I enjoyed the dialogue style, the subject and journey interesting. The characters felt like caricatures, the situations gradually more absurd - unsure if that detracted but it made an interesting way to explore subjects. The pointlessness & lack of a clear ‘right‘ in war my main impression

Perfect first hand accounts of actual veterans.

“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.”

#DaysDevotedTo

#Veterans 😔💔

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

We follow Kein whose job in the Vietnam war was to search for dead bodies in the jungle. In the years after the war ended, he would drink to excess and write down the things that kept him up at night. This is his story. It's jumbled and mostly out of chronological order which can be confusing however the last few pages address the issues.

This book is full of horrors. Pages full of broken dreams and broken spirits. Lost lives, lost souls.