--- product_id: 334209248 title: "The Mountains Sing: Runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize" price: "€ 37.42" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/334209248-the-mountains-sing-runner-up-for-the-2021-dayton-literary store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # Authentic Vietnamese cultural immersion 4 major literary awards 513+ rank in Historical Fiction The Mountains Sing: Runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize **Price:** € 37.42 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock Vietnam’s untold story — where history, heart, and hope collide. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Mountains Sing: Runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize - **How much does it cost?** € 37.42 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/334209248-the-mountains-sing-runner-up-for-the-2021-dayton-literary) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Deep Cultural Immersion:** Experience Vietnam’s 20th-century history through rich, authentic language and traditions, preserving cultural integrity with Vietnamese diacritics. - • **Award-Winning Literary Masterpiece:** Celebrate a novel honored by 4 prestigious international awards, including the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize runner-up. - • **Critically Acclaimed & Bestselling:** Join thousands of readers who rated it 4.6/5 and propelled it to top ranks in War and Historical Fiction categories. - • **Eye-Opening Decolonized Perspective:** Gain fresh insights into Vietnam’s complex history beyond Western narratives, making this a must-read for socially conscious professionals. - • **Powerful Multi-Generational Narrative:** Follow two generations of women navigating war, resilience, and hope in a story that redefines historical fiction. ## Overview The Mountains Sing is a critically acclaimed debut novel by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, winner and runner-up of multiple international literary awards. It offers a vivid, multi-generational portrayal of Vietnam’s turbulent 20th century, blending intimate family stories with sweeping historical events. Praised for its authentic use of Vietnamese language and culture, the book challenges Western-centric war narratives and immerses readers in a deeply emotional and eye-opening experience. With a 4.6-star rating from over 1,100 reviews and strong bestseller rankings, it’s a must-have for readers seeking profound historical fiction with social impact. ## Description Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for Fiction Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize, 2021 * Shortlisted for the People's Book Prize, 2021 'An epic account of Viet Nam's painful 20th-century history, both vast in scope and intimate in its telling... Moving and riveting.' Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer Selected as a Best Book of 2020 by NB Magazine * BookBrowse * Buzz Magazine * NPR * Washington Independent Review of Books * Real Simple * She Reads * A Hindu's View * Thoughts from a Page One family, two generations of women and a war that will change their lives forever Ha Noi, 1972. Hương and her grandmother, Trần Diệu Lan, cling to one another in their improvised shelter as American bombs fall around them. For Trần Diệu Lan, forced to flee the family farm with her six children decades earlier as the Communist government rose to power in the North, this experience is horribly familiar. Seen through the eyes of these two unforgettable women, The Mountains Sing captures their defiance and determination, hope and unexpected joy. Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyễn’s richly lyrical debut weaves between the lives of a grandmother and granddaughter to paint a unique picture of a country pushed to breaking point, and a family who refuse to give up. 'Devastating… From the French and Japanese occupations to the Indochina wars, The Great Hunger, land reform and the Vietnam War, it's a story of resilience, determination, family and hope in a country blighted by pain.' Refinery29 Review: Triste y hermoso. - Siendo la escritora poeta cambia la perspectiva de los demás escritores. Nunca se pierde la esperanza, aun en los momentos más aterradores. son episodios históricos muy importantes, algo que no se tiene muy claro en Occidente. El hecho que la autora sea vietnamita nos da la perspectiva más correcta. Recomendadísimo. IRMA DICKINSON Review: the author did a beautiful job in decolonising Vietnamese history - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 As someone living in the West I feel as though a certain narrative has been pushed about the 'Vietnam War' and not much attention has been shown to the victims that had been suffering for a long time. Before the Americans it was the French, the Japanese, the Chinese. This book was a real eye-opener for me because of the way it shows the characters resilience, their trauma, their suffering, and even their hope during the war. I was enamoured by this novel and the way it portrayed suffering so holistically, with the trauma of everyone involved in the war being explored, whether it's a mother gone to fight, an uncle returning injured, a young girl left behind or a grieving mother and grandma. It was very emotional, and each character had suffered in their own unique way, providing a tragic view of the suffering during wartime. I also think the author did a beautiful job in decolonising Vietnamese history shining light on the politics and land reforms going on at the time, whilst also providing rich insight into the experiences of Vietnamese people. Whilst this may be classed as fiction, it’s not really because these are all real-life things that happened. The reforms were real, the experiences were more than real. The novel is so tragically beautiful and highly emotional; Quế Mai wrote this with the intention of taking back the narrative and I think she achieved that. I especially loved how unapologetic Quế Mai was with the way she writes in diacritics and uses Vietnamese words. Language is the very essence of a culture their pride and not simplifying words and spelling them properly/correctly is important in decolonising literature. It fully immerses the reader into Vietnamese culture, and I think its beautifully done. I really felt like I was transported there. I was fully enraptured by what I was reading and couldn’t put the book down. The Mountains Sing is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I could not recommend it enough, truly. It prompted and encouraged me to do my own research on Vietnam and this novel is just amazing. It was written for a purpose, and I think it achieved that perfectly. ## Features - Item Trademark: ONEWORLD PUBLICATIONS - manufacturer: Oneworld Publications - Item Weight: kilograms, pounds, 0.6613867860, 0.30 ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #29,735 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #107 in War Fiction #513 in Historical Fiction #715 in Action & Adventure Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,111 Reviews | ## Images ![The Mountains Sing: Runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZhbZUxoYL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Triste y hermoso. *by I***N on 24 March 2021* Siendo la escritora poeta cambia la perspectiva de los demás escritores. Nunca se pierde la esperanza, aun en los momentos más aterradores. son episodios históricos muy importantes, algo que no se tiene muy claro en Occidente. El hecho que la autora sea vietnamita nos da la perspectiva más correcta. Recomendadísimo. IRMA DICKINSON ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ the author did a beautiful job in decolonising Vietnamese history *by A***M on 24 January 2024* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 As someone living in the West I feel as though a certain narrative has been pushed about the 'Vietnam War' and not much attention has been shown to the victims that had been suffering for a long time. Before the Americans it was the French, the Japanese, the Chinese. This book was a real eye-opener for me because of the way it shows the characters resilience, their trauma, their suffering, and even their hope during the war. I was enamoured by this novel and the way it portrayed suffering so holistically, with the trauma of everyone involved in the war being explored, whether it's a mother gone to fight, an uncle returning injured, a young girl left behind or a grieving mother and grandma. It was very emotional, and each character had suffered in their own unique way, providing a tragic view of the suffering during wartime. I also think the author did a beautiful job in decolonising Vietnamese history shining light on the politics and land reforms going on at the time, whilst also providing rich insight into the experiences of Vietnamese people. Whilst this may be classed as fiction, it’s not really because these are all real-life things that happened. The reforms were real, the experiences were more than real. The novel is so tragically beautiful and highly emotional; Quế Mai wrote this with the intention of taking back the narrative and I think she achieved that. I especially loved how unapologetic Quế Mai was with the way she writes in diacritics and uses Vietnamese words. Language is the very essence of a culture their pride and not simplifying words and spelling them properly/correctly is important in decolonising literature. It fully immerses the reader into Vietnamese culture, and I think its beautifully done. I really felt like I was transported there. I was fully enraptured by what I was reading and couldn’t put the book down. The Mountains Sing is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I could not recommend it enough, truly. It prompted and encouraged me to do my own research on Vietnam and this novel is just amazing. It was written for a purpose, and I think it achieved that perfectly. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful *by M***H on 16 September 2024* I will read this book again. Beautiful writing, story, characters, and relationships. It is not an easy read though, as it deals with the history of Viêt Nam in the 20th century. But it's a really good story. I can't wait to read the author's other book! ## Frequently Bought Together - The Mountains Sing: Runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize - Dust Child: The International Bestseller --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/334209248-the-mountains-sing-runner-up-for-the-2021-dayton-literary](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/334209248-the-mountains-sing-runner-up-for-the-2021-dayton-literary) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-10-30*