8 Books That Will Fly You To Vietnam 

Books have the power to transport you to places you’ve never been before, both real and imagined—and these 8 will put you smack-dab in Vietnam.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

We’re starting off this list with a Pulitzer Prize winner—which in this case, is a spy novel that explores the complex maze of politics and ideology of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a double agent. This novel is a fascinating and thought-provoking dive into the struggle between Vietnam and America, mirroring the main character’s own internal struggle between his Vietnamese heritage and his experience in American culture. More than that, though, it’s an enjoyable read, with a dash of humor that makes the heavy subject matter more real and authentic than a dust-covered history book.

The Sorrow of War by Bảo Ninh

Winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 1994 and the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2011, The Sorrow of War has more than earned its place on this list with its raw, honest take on what it’s like to live through the Vietnam War, and what life is like after. The story follows Kien, a North Vietnamese soldier, and offers glimpses into his childhood, military career, and his life post-war. And, as the title implies, it’s about the sorrows caused by the devastation and bloodshed of war.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

While telling a novel through letters is not a new concept, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous offers a new twist by making it a single long letter. Written from the perspective of a son, Little Dog, to his mother, a Vietnamese immigrant who cannot read, the premise in itself sets a tone of longing, regret, and nostalgia.

Though not set in Vietnam, Little Dog walks through his own memories and talks about his mother’s life through the war, and how she saw her childhood schoolhouse burned to the ground by napalm. It gives an in-depth look at how the struggle and desperation of surviving war reverberates through generations.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Though originally a Vietnamese poet, Nguyen Phan Que Mai marks her first foray into English prose with The Mountains Sing. This historical fiction novel interweaves two stories: that of the protagonist, Hương, a woman living in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the story she tells of her grandmother, Diệu Lan.

The narrative weaves these two tales together beautifully, highlighting the ways in which the Vietnam War has affected multiple generations of one family, a microcosm of how it’s touched the culture as a whole.

Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew Pham

Talk about “transporting yourself to Vietnam”—Catfish and Mandala is a story where the author, Andrew Pham, does exactly that, traveling to the home of his ancestors to explore his Vietnamese roots.

It’s not just about that, though. Pham, an American son of a Vietnamese prisoner of war, takes a year to bicycle around the world, through the Mexican desert, in Japan, and finally in Saigon. It’s a story of a man in search of himself, trying to reconcile his out-of-placeness in the world: not considered American in the US, not considered Vietnamese in Vietnam. All this while struggling with his trans sister’s recent suicide, and coming to terms with the sorrow of losing one of the few people who truly feel like family.

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip

Saigon and Hanoi are hardly the only places in Vietnam—and if you want to be transported to a rural Vietnamese town, give When Heaven and Earth Changed Places a whirl. Though it reads as smoothly as a novel, it’s actually the memoir of the author, Le Ly Hayslip, and her experiences being recruited as a child spy for Viet Cong troops.

It follows the brutal reality she faced during the war—imprisonment, torture, rape—the loss of loved ones, and nearly her own life, as well. However, it’s not purely focused on hopelessness, but on escape, and an eventual, joyous reunion with long-lost family.

The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family by Duong Van Mai Elliot

Multi-generational trauma is a big thing in Vietnamese literature. The Sacred Willow is another memoir, this time weaving together four different generations to create a portrait of Vietnam through the ages. It begins with the author’s great-grandfather, a self-made man who started in poverty and clawed his way into becoming a rich and influential figure in his community.

However, the story doesn’t follow a clear, linear path. Instead, it follows the many threads of family members on their individual journeys: a sister who joined the communist Viet Minh and spent nights sleeping in the jungle; a nephew trying to escape Saigon; and her own childhood in her grandmother’s silk shop.

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong

Although other books on this list take place in Vietnam, The Book of Salt is a fictional novel that begins in Paris, France, in the 1930s. Binh, a Vietnamese cook, is the protagonist, working away for a Parisian family as he tries to fit himself into place in the puzzle of life. It’s no easy task, reconciling his current position with his past, bent under colonial rule in Saigon.

What’s really mesmerizing about the book is the way in which Truong tells it, as though it’s not prose but poetry itself. She has a distinctive, artistic style that is signature in many of her books; a style that itself could be considered a taste of Vietnam.