Other Moons Vietnamese Short Stories of the American War and Its Aftermath Translated and Edited by Quan Manh Ha amd Joseph Bancock

 I felt an instinctive attraction for Other Moons Vietnamese

Short Stories of the American War and Its Aftermath Translated and Edited by Quan Manh Ha amd Joseph Bancock. Published by Columbia University Press I noticed this book thanks to the Instagram page of the Columbia and I requested it immediately.

Without doubt, it is a true masterpiece of short, but not for this reason, less intense stories; stories made by feelings,  new companions, magic, or shadows.

Vietnam has been a country "assaulted" by close or distant countries, for a long time and everytime the country forgave the enemies and tried to goes on, because there is nothing to do and because in this way it is possible write new pages.

These stories are about the War against the USA, a conflict that, I started to know much better in all its multiples faces when I met two beautiful people from Memphis, aunt Bobbie and uncle Don. We are not blood related but, that ex war Vietnam veteran and his wife entered in my heart. Uncle Don suffered of the Agent Orange and died for complications caused by this chemical substance; during their life, they haven't had children, they adopted two Vietnamese nurses Celine and Josie and Fr. Simon another Vietnamese's priest is always around their house. To me at first everything sounded amazingly weird because the USA fought against Vietnam: later I learnt that the power of love, and the donation to the others, for veterans was the best door for the understanding and for the creation of a healthiest society. Kindness, tenderness, joy, comprehension, desire of putting behind the bad things, keeping the beautiful ones that life can offer. They are great human lessons. 

These short tales are written by writers who, although there is still censorship in Vietnam and there is just a political party, have had access to beautiful translation of books written in the Western part of the world: USA, France, UK, Italy and so on and so they have a different approach regarding writing and what they want to communicate. These tales are classics ones in the Vietnamese culture but it is the first time that they are translated in english. I know that you will find each of them a precious gem.

Some examples of what you will find: there is the story of Lu, a dog survived at the terrible death of a kid. A vietnamese soldier saved the dog and although keeping this dog for this soldier and his mates was a sacrifice and sounded impossible, not only he did it, but he/they received great help from him! in various occasions.

The story maybe touched me the most was the one of two teachers. One of them not yet anymore young didn't mind of finding someone but she admonished the other one: here you won't find any man suitable for you.

The girl didn't think all the time at this option. The other teacher was supersticious. "Close the door or the spirits of the dead ones, still not yet fine will visit you." Once it happened and two months later from the episode, the girl discovered that she had met a dead soldier vacating in this world, and still peaceless...

White Clouds Flying is the story of a mom who lost his son and that during a flying  re-created a human shrine for him.

Birds in Formation tells the story of a lady still feeling the past, a grandma with some memory-loss and a son not respected by other for some reasons. 

The Corporal tells the story of a Mr.Buong and her daughter Xuan. Xuan was a strong peasant girl and the father was worried because maybe, not being particularly attractive, she wouldn't never found anyone. At least she did but the union hasn't been at all particularly happy.

Red Apples is a short tale about the damage of war, the physical one but also the internal wounds brought by people. It remembered me a story told in the book by Nina Haratischwili The Eighth Life

For Brilka.

In this case a pianist girl in love for Chopin is searching for a husband and this boy, who had fought in the war and had seen this world and the other introduces himself to her. She was wearing a pair of glasses and she lived with her granny. She asked him if she could offer him red apples, offering of peeling them. When she tries, she injures herself and the ex soldier will discover various truths and a beautiful soul. Tender.

In The Most Beautiful Girl in the Village the story of a wonderfullly beauty girl courted by everyone, but waiting just a man in the front.

Once the war is over she is an adult woman of 35 and she goes in several hospitals for searching for him when in a museum she notices her own picture, taken by the body of a fallen soldier.

She re-meets in a hospital where she previously searched for his adoring man an injured one. "You are looking for someone that is already lost, and therefore ireeplaceable, and I am waiting for someone who doesn't event exist" says her. Later they will become lovers but the end not the happiest one under some aspects...

War is a short tale that will let you think. The husband of a  newly married couple, left the house for going to war. After ten years he returned home discovering that the wife was pregnant. He asked for explanations but the wife insisted that she copulated once with him. The man didn't understand, believe and forgive her. As also written in the tale, this episode, in comparison, inconfrontation with a war  is a nothing, but from a nothing can descend a hate and a grudge extremely intense. A war without weapons the one fought by this family as the writer remarks.

There are two short tales I read about Agent Orange. The first is tender; there are two kids, in a village; since they were little, they were incredibly connected. These two children grew up and they continued to feel the same sentiments, but once, when at the university the boy became very cold with the girl and the girl couldn't explain the reason for this behavior. Destroyed, she married another man; they tried to have, without success, children. Later, they divorced forced by several events and people, and the girl returned to her native country where his old boyfriend was still living....

In Storms a new agent orange story. One of the children of this family is called Hoa Binh, Peace, but the poor girl didn't bring peace to his family and in particular to the internal wounds of his father, still hallucinated for what he saw and still suffering internally and externally pains; in particular the father passed to the daughter the Agent Orange, a chemical substance that sometimes is also cause of infertility and many many other sad illnesses.

Love and War is an incredible strong strong short tale about war and how it leaves body and soul but in this case the author firmly writes that he hates all the countries that moved war to his country. Not only: "I also hate who have never gone to war with our country but plan to in the future."

Beautiful book, you will be gently be transported in a distant land, with different customs, tasting tender, compassion, discovering several typologies of wounds, a differrent narration more plain and more poetic than not the western one and stories that will remain in your heart. 

The cover is spectacular!

Highly recommended. 

I thank Columbia University Press for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori