The Mountains Sing

“I realized that whenever humans failed us, it was nature who could help save us,” says Grandma Diệu Lan. What are the symbols of nature that are used in the book? What do you think about the healing ability of nature?

“Was that a baby next to Auntie Hoa? Its head was at least three times the size of its chest. Its forehead bulged out. It had no arms or legs,” Hương describes her cousin. Discuss what you know about Agent Orange, its use during the Việt Nam War and its effects on people.

“Human kindness never ceased to amaze me,” says Grandma. What are some of the acts of kindness revealed in the novel? Do you find any of these acts unbelievable?

“Being a mother is never easy, though. It’s about failing, learning, and then failing again,” says Grandma Diệu Lan. What do you think about Grandma’s view on parenthood? Compare your view on parenthood to Grandma Diệu Lan’s.

“Try to forgive and forget, Ngọc,” says Grandma to her daughter. “If you bear grudges, you’re the one who’ll have to bear the burden of sorrow.” What do you think about forgivenes and the power of forgiveness?

“And in the twirling ash, I see the Sơn ca moving. It is flapping its wings, craning its neck, calling my grandma’s songs toward Heaven,” ends the novel. What do you think about the contracdicting images of “ash” and “songs”? What does the Sơn ca’s singing symbolise?

The Mountains Sing features many physical and emotional journeys (of Grandma Diệu Lan, of Hương, her mother Ngọc, Uncle Đạt, Uncle Minh, and Auntie Hạnh). According to you, which journey is the most challenging and why?

“I was determined to sing on. I learned then that as long as I have my voice, I am still alive,” says Grandma Diệu Lan. Give examples of music and poetry which are represented in the novel. How important do you think music and poetry to the Vietnamese culture?

Vietnamese women are sometimes looked down upon culturally, as reflected in the saying Đàn bà đái không qua ngọn cỏ—Women can’t pee higher than the tips of grass blades. What do you think about the implied meaning of this saying? What are some of the messages of women empowerment/gender equality embedded in the novel?

What does the bird Sơn ca symbolise? Why does Hương carry the Sơn ca with her throughout her life?