I love to feel connected to characters and invested in a story, but my favorite type of book also teaches me something along the way. Each of these wonderful novels immerses the reader in another country or culture, educating about the history of the place and people as the stories unfold.

I met the lovely author of The Mountains Sing online in a writers’ forum I participate in. She was thrilled to be publishing her first novel in English and wanted help spreading the word. I am more than happy to shout to the rooftops about her gorgeous book.

The story takes place in Vietnam and spans the middle of the twentieth century from 1930 to 1979. In alternating chapters, we hear first hand accounts from Tran Dieu Lan and her granddaughter, Huong. Before reading this, my knowledge of Vietnamese history consisted solely of snippets about the Vietnamese war from an American perspective. This beautifully crafted story accounts the atrocities one family withstood over the course of fifty years, highlighting the remarkable resilience, fortitude and generosity of the Vietnamese people.

“The challenges faced by Vietnamese people throughout history are as tall as the tallest mountains. If you stand too close, you won’t be able to see their peaks. Once you step away from the currents of life, you will have the full view…”

It’s cleat that this story comes straight from the author’s heart. She is sharing her story and those of her friends, neighbors and ancestors. I feel honored to have been given a seat at grandmother’s feet, to be able to hear her speak in her own words about the trials and tribulations of the Vietnamese people.

This heart wrenching story takes place in post Apartheid South Africa and follows three women. Zodwa is a young Zulu woman living in Soweto and Ruth and Delilah are estranged sisters who are forced by circumstance to reunite in their childhood home. When the three women are joined together by a precious baby, they all must reevaluate their priorities and the future course of their lives.

I loved everything about this beautiful book. I’m always stories with multiple points of view, and each of the main characters have fascinating and important stories to tell. This novel touches on so many important themes—race, prejudice, sexual assault, HIV/AIDs, but really it’s a story about relationships and family. Is family the one you are born into or the people you find and make your own along the way? Marais does a remarkable job weaving together the stories of these three women while bringing in their fascinating and often tragic backstories to help us understand what motivates their choices and actions. While there no shortage of sadness and loss, the story is ultimately one of hope and optimism.

Bianca Marais visited our book club on Zoom and taught us so much about the history of South Africa and what is what like growing up in the shadow of Apartheid. She is warm, knowledgable and painfully cognizant of the privilege she was afforded as a white person in her home country. If you have the opportunity to invite her to your book club, you will surely be richer for the experience.