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royalfox's review
5.0
~Thank you NetGalley and The Red Herrings Press for sending me an e-ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.~
Rating: 5/5
Mai and Tam are two sisters in wartime Vietnam, 1968, who struggle for survival after their small village is destroyed by the Americans and their family is slaughtered. Mai and Tam, even before this tragedy, have not had the best relationship; tensions finally build and boil over, leaving the sisters estranged from each other, each taking separate paths to salvation: Mai, to become a bar girl hanging on the arms of American GIs, and Tam, to become a fighter for the North, to destroy the Americans who took everything from her.
I could not put this book down. Everything from the development of Mai and Tam from girls to women, to the story-telling, was impeccable. There was not a single moment that I found myself bored or skipping ahead to get to the "meat" of the story. It keeps you on your toes, always guessing and wondering what will happen to the sisters next; without spoiling anything, I can say that it was a very unpredictable ending.
Mai and Tam are so different and unique in their attitudes and actions and Ms. Hellmann portraited that perfectly. The way she describes the scenes make you feel like you're right there with the sisters, living through their hardships, your heart breaking when theirs do. She shows you the realities of what lives were like for the Vietnamese unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire of the "American War," how drastically things can change for the worst, and how quickly people can die.
This is the first novel I have ever read by Ms. Hellmann, and I can only hope the rest of her novels are as extraordinary. I absolutely recommend picking up a copy of A Bend in The River--you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 5/5
Mai and Tam are two sisters in wartime Vietnam, 1968, who struggle for survival after their small village is destroyed by the Americans and their family is slaughtered. Mai and Tam, even before this tragedy, have not had the best relationship; tensions finally build and boil over, leaving the sisters estranged from each other, each taking separate paths to salvation: Mai, to become a bar girl hanging on the arms of American GIs, and Tam, to become a fighter for the North, to destroy the Americans who took everything from her.
I could not put this book down. Everything from the development of Mai and Tam from girls to women, to the story-telling, was impeccable. There was not a single moment that I found myself bored or skipping ahead to get to the "meat" of the story. It keeps you on your toes, always guessing and wondering what will happen to the sisters next; without spoiling anything, I can say that it was a very unpredictable ending.
Mai and Tam are so different and unique in their attitudes and actions and Ms. Hellmann portraited that perfectly. The way she describes the scenes make you feel like you're right there with the sisters, living through their hardships, your heart breaking when theirs do. She shows you the realities of what lives were like for the Vietnamese unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire of the "American War," how drastically things can change for the worst, and how quickly people can die.
This is the first novel I have ever read by Ms. Hellmann, and I can only hope the rest of her novels are as extraordinary. I absolutely recommend picking up a copy of A Bend in The River--you won't be disappointed.
sassyredca's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
poisedpenpro's review against another edition
5.0
I’m going to preface my review by saying that this isn’t a genre that I read a lot of. But knowing this author’s works, and her total dedication to research, it was a book that I was very much looking forward to reading. AND, I’m so glad that I did!
This story revolves around two sisters in war-torn Vietnam. They endure so much hardship in their young lives, from their village being burned to the ground, to the tragic murders of most of those they love and hold dear, to wondering what their future will bring.
The title is so appropriate for this novel, for A BEND IN THE RIVER, is where their lives are irrevocably changed as they are thrust down two entirely different life paths.
This book made me cry, made me hopeful, made me cry again, and a few times I found myself saying out loud, “NO, don’t do that!” It took me down many twists and turns, that I never expected or saw coming. I read this book in two nights because I simply couldn’t put it down unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was next to come.
A heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-rending story, that will truly touch your heart. I love how the author brought it all together to a surprising conclusion.
I highly recommend this book; A 5 star must read.
This story revolves around two sisters in war-torn Vietnam. They endure so much hardship in their young lives, from their village being burned to the ground, to the tragic murders of most of those they love and hold dear, to wondering what their future will bring.
The title is so appropriate for this novel, for A BEND IN THE RIVER, is where their lives are irrevocably changed as they are thrust down two entirely different life paths.
This book made me cry, made me hopeful, made me cry again, and a few times I found myself saying out loud, “NO, don’t do that!” It took me down many twists and turns, that I never expected or saw coming. I read this book in two nights because I simply couldn’t put it down unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was next to come.
A heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-rending story, that will truly touch your heart. I love how the author brought it all together to a surprising conclusion.
I highly recommend this book; A 5 star must read.
bract4813mypacksnet's review
4.0
A Bend in the River derives its name from the Mekong River in Vietnam. In 1968 two young Vietnamese sisters witness the murder of all the members of their village, and the village is burned to the ground by American soldiers searching for Viet Cong. The sisters, Tam and Mai, flee to Saigon after their village on the Mekong River is attacked by American forces and burned to the ground. They steal a sampan and start paddling toward Saigon. Tam is older, more serious, scholarly while Mai is younger, flippant, and self-centered. Their personality differences lead them to very different life choices and ideologies. The bend in the river represents the vastly different turns their lives take after a relationship-ending argument. Tam heads into the jungle to help the Viet Cong while Mai becomes a bar girl, then a prostitute.
The reunion of the two sisters seems a bit too coincidental; however, I enjoyed the insights into the Vietnam War and seeing it “from the other side.”
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
The reunion of the two sisters seems a bit too coincidental; however, I enjoyed the insights into the Vietnam War and seeing it “from the other side.”
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
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