π π»π³ #29: Autofictional vignettes from Vietnam
Kim ThΓΊy's fictionalised tale of fleeing Saigon
Welcome to Bookmarked, a weekly newsletter following my journey as I read one book from every country. If you like the sound of my project, Iβd love it if you shared this newsletter with a friend.
Ru, by Vietnamese-Canadian author Kim ThΓΊy, is a lightly fictionalised account of the authorβs own experience as a Vietnamese Γ©migrΓ© in Canada. Like Ruβs narrator, ThΓΊy and her family fled South Vietnam to escape its Communist take over, travelling first by boat to a refugee camp and eventually settling in Montreal. Having been translated into over twenty languages, Ru is one of the most successful debut novels in Canadian literary history.
The story is told from the perspective of Nguyen An Tinh, a ten-year-old girl whose family flee their palatial home in Saigon to escape Communist rule. In short vignettes that move between the past and the present, An Tinh recounts her memories of leaving Vietnam, enduring a brutal boat journey, and arriving in Malaysia, where her family are accepted by an overcrowded refugee camp which is plagued by flies and maggots. Many months later, having been granted entry to Canada, An Tinh and her family settle in Quebec.
Sponsors help the Nguyen family settle into their new lives, first teaching them how to make their government allowances stretch to cover furniture and clothes by bargaining with market vendors. Next, their neighbours inundate them with overwhelmingly kind gestures: boxes of Minute Rice; trips to the zoo; and warm clothes.
Johanneβ¦ was one of an army of them who'd been parachuted into town to give us shock treatment. By the dozen they showed up at our doors to give us warm clothes, toys, invitations, dreams. I often felt there wasnβt enough space inside us to receive everything we were offered, to catch all the smiles that came our way. How could we visit the Granby zoo more than twice each weekend? How could we appreciate a camping trip to the countryside? How to savour an omelette with maple syrup?
Though An Tinh is a quiet child, in Canada she eventually starts speaking French and buys into the North American dream. Later, as an adult, An Tinh has two sons, one of whom is autistic. βHe isβ¦ one of those children we must love from a distance,β she says, βneither touching, nor kissing, nor smiling at them because every one of their senses would be assaulted by the odour of our skin, by the intensity of our voices, the texture of our hair, the throbbing of our hearts.β Becoming a mother allows An Tinh to reflect on her relationships with her own parents, in particular the sacrifices they made to provide for her, with a new sense of clarity. Β
Ru does not follow a linear narrative. Instead, the novel is propelled by triggers: visual cues; smells; and turns of phrase connect its self-contained episodes. In Ru, ThΓΊy intersperses harrowing memories of war and communist re-education with wise reflections on language, identity, and parenthood. At just 140 pagesβsome of them comprising just a few lines of textβRu is a short book with real dimension. Its structure is fascinating and ThΓΊyβs unadorned, restrained style of writing is remarkable. I loved this book.
Ru by Kim ThΓΊy, tr. Sheila Fischman (Bloomsbury, 2012 / Γditions Libre Expression, 2009)
More books by Vietnamese authors
Hereβs a list of the other recommendations I received this week. Ocean Vuongβs On Earth Weβre Briefly Gorgeous is breathtaking:
She Weeps Each Time Youβre Born by Quan Barry
The Lotus and the Storm by Lan Cao
No Manβs Land by DΖ°Ζ‘ng Thu HΖ°Ζ‘ng, tr. Phan Huy ΔΖ°α»ng and Nina McPherson
Two Sisters by Cung Thα» Lan, tr. Diem-Tran Kratzke
The Mountains Sing by Nguyα» n Phan QuαΊΏ Mai
An Insignificant Family by DαΊ‘ NgΓ’n, tr. Rosemary Nguyen
Grass Roof, Tin Roof by Dao Strom
The Gangster We Are All Looking For by lΓͺ thα» diα» m thΓΊy
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
What have you read recently?
If youβve read a brilliant book in translation or want to pass on a recommendation, Iβd love to hear about it! For this project, Iβm focussing on contemporary fiction and short stories, with a preference for female authorsβbut I wonβt be too dogmatic about it so do share recommendations that donβt quite fit the bill, too.
You can get in touch by replying to this email or leaving a comment. Iβll be featuring your recommendations in upcoming newsletters, and Iβll keep a growing listΒ here.
Bookmarked is written by Tabatha Leggett. Thanks to Lloyd Duong from PENVietnam for this issueβs recommendations. If you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them!