Dust Child

By: Que Mai Phan Nguyen

Narrated by: Quyen Ngo

From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam.

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot. Decades later, an American veteran, Dan, returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past.

At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S.

Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Suspenseful, poetic, and perfect for fans of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Dust Child tells an unforgettable and immersive story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies through love, hard-earned wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy.

©2023 Que Mai Phan Nguyen (P)2023 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

"Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will win many more readers with her powerful and deeply empathetic second novel. From the horrors of war and its enduring afterlife for men and women, lovers and children, soldiers and civilians, she weaves a heartbreaking tale of lost ideals, human devotion, and hard-won redemption. Dust Child establishes Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai as one of our finest observers of the devastating consequences of war, and proves, once more, her ability to captivate readers and lure them into Viet Nam’s rich and poignant history."—Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Sympathizer and The Committed

"Dazzling. Sharply drawn and hauntingly beautiful."—Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees

"Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai shows us the capacity we hold to confront our pasts, for the purpose of life is not to remain intact, but to break open, to let loss be a guide, to face the echoes of longing. In Dust Child, rupture leads to emotional richness and pain creates the pathways worth walking. I truly cannot wait for the rest of the world to celebrate this book."—Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Know My Name

Please read this book

This book is so good. It makes you feel so many emotions, and gives a view through fiction of a perspective that Americans rarely, if ever get and is very powerful

Beautiful!

Very informative and well written. I loved all the characters that display their human nature and condition. I will look for other books from this author.

relatable, emotional, informative

A well written story with sympathetic characters. it depicts a most human aspect of American Vietnam war. it is thought provoking and touching. the marathon was expert as well

What an excellent book

I just love this book. This was a very thoughtful look at other aspects of war.

Great book!

I Love everything about this book! A must read if you are looking for answers.

I cried hot tears!!

This was such a raw read. My knowledge about the Vietnam war was close to zero, and knowledge about the children born of GIs and the Vietnamese women was non existent. This book was an eye opener. It was raw and heartbreaking and left me sobbing in parts. It is also a story of immense personal strength, redemption, and the power of forgiveness. I am so grateful to have come across this beautiful book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Dust Child Was Captivating

I typically try to play it safe with my monthly credit and steer towards books with many reviews to play it safe, but something about Dust Child called out to me and I purchased it. I was barely able to stop listening once I started. It was captivating, sad, beautiful and so much more. The writing was fantastic, the narrator was perfect, and the story, though fictional, felt very authentic. At the end of the book, the author states that the book took 7 years of extensive research to write, and it shows. I'm glad I listened. Five stars all around.

I felt my breath escape from me a couple times.

The author transports you into another time so vividly, engulfs your energy emotion. I felt my breath escape from me a couple times.

The plight of rejected children

The author tells a story in such a fluent manner that it is easy to keep reading, even when one is saddened by the lives of the characters. She clearly has educated herself about that era in Vietnam, and the day-to-day agony of those who have to live in war zones.

Another amazing book by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Nguyen Phan Que Mai brings you into the life of people living out the aftermath of the Vietnam War. She places you in the life of various characters to understand many perspectives. Eye opening for me! As always, her writing is wonderful.