suggestion “Last Night I Dreamed of Peace,” the memoir of Dang Thuy Tram, who was killed on the battlefield at the age of 27 while working as a doctor during the Vietnam War. His diary was brought back to the United States by an American military intelligence officer, Frederic Whitehurst. Thirty-five years later, in 2005, the diary was returned to his family in Hanoi, after published to international acclaim.
Another female writer whose work I admire is Le Minh Khue, whose short story collection “The Stars, The Earth, The River” Primarily seen in the working class neighborhoods of Hanoi and depicts a poorer city.
What audiobook will keep me company while I walk?
The Vietnamese poet Phung Quan once wrote, “In moments of difficulty, I hold on to the line of poetry and pull myself up.” Poetry is a pillar of Vietnamese life and, as you walk around Hanoi, you can listen to “Lanterns hanging in the air,” a two-part, bilingual radio program celebrating Vietnamese poetry. The Vietnamese versions of the poems were read by the authors, and the English translations were read by Jennifer Fossenbell, an American poet.
While spending time in Hanoi, you may find yourself on Hai Ba Trung Street, named after two warrior sisters who, according to legend, rode on the back of elephants, leading an army of mostly women to defeat the Chinese colonizers in AD 40. Phong Nguyen’s audiobook “Brass Drum,” beautifully narrated by Quyen Ngo, will take you into the lives of the Trung brothers.
What literary landmarks and bookshops should I visit?
in Hanoi 19/12 Streetdedicated to books and booksellers, is right next to the historical Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by US prisoners of war. Local book companies and publishers have shops along the street, displaying and selling their titles. As you walk under the green canopies of ancient trees, ponder this fact: This street was once a busy market — the Underworld Market — named for the mass graves of victims killed during the Anti-French Resistance War.
