Vietnam War

Guest: Nguyen Phan Que Mai, Author of “The Mountains Sing” With Veterans Day this past week, we were reminded, once again, just how large the Vietnam War looms over America’s psyche. Six million American men and women who fought in the Vietnam War are still alive today–they’re the largest surviving group of veterans from a single conflict and far outnumber the veterans who’ve fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, it’s really no wonder that most of the books and movies about the Vietnam War that we’re familiar with are from the perspective of those veterans–from the perspective of America and its allies. Nguyen Phan Que Mai’s new novel is the rare exception. It tracks the effects of war on four generations of one Vietnamese family. The novel, which is called, “The Mountains Sing,” draws from the real experiences of Que Mai’s family. (Originally aired March 7, 2020).