A Night In With Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Join the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, in conversation with Sofia Akel to celebrate the publication of her eagerly awaited new novel, Dust Child.
Four lives, entwined forever by decisions made in a time of conflict. But what happens decades later when they unexpectedly converge once more?
In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh leave their rural village to find work in Sài Gòn, to help their impoverished parents. When they take jobs as hostesses in a bar frequented by American GIs, they have to accept it will mean compromising values they have always held dear. As the fighting moves closer to the city, the elder sister, Trang, begins a romance with an American helicopter pilot.
Decades later, Phong – a ‘Dust Child’ – the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman, abandoned by his mother and rejected all his life, has never given up hope of finding his parents and a new life outside Việt Nam. While Dan, a war veteran still plagued by regrets about his actions all those years ago, has returned with his wife Linda, in the hope of confronting the demons that refuse to fall silent.
In conversation for this extra special virtual event, Quế Mai and Sofia will dive into the family secrets and hidden heartache found in the novel. Dust Child draws on Quế Mai’s many years of working as a volunteer helping family members unite and reflects the real-life experience of Amerasians and their families. Do not miss this incredible event!
“Dazzling. Sharply drawn and hauntingly beautiful.” Elif Shafak
“An evocative tale that sheds lights on a legacy of the Việt Nam war that more should know about, Nguyễn’s love for her country and its citizens shines through the pages of Dust Child.” Jing Jing Lee
Photo by Tapu Javeri