A Mother’s Tale & Other Stories

• A Mother’s Tale & Other Stories
• Price: $18.00
• Fiction/Stories | Paperback
• Pages - 220
• Khanh Ha
• ISBN: 978-1-949540-23-9
• October 15, 2021

ABOUT

A Mother’s Tale is a tale of salvaging one’s soul from received and inherited war-related trauma. Within the titular beautiful story of a mother’s love for her son is the cruelty and senselessness of the Vietnam War, the poignant human connection, and a haunting narrative  whose setting and atmosphere appear at times otherworldly through their landscape and inhabitants. Captured in the vivid descriptions of Vietnam’s country and culture are a host of characters, tortured and maimed and generous and still empathetic despite many obstacles, including a culture wrecked by losses. Somewhere in this chaos readers will find a tender link between the present-day survivors and those already gone. Rich and yet buoyant with a vision-like quality, this collection shares a common theme of love and loneliness, longing and compassion, where beauty is discovered in the moments of brutality, and agony is felt in ecstasy.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“It is often the second generation, the children of immigrants and refugees, who add their stories to enrich and expand the American literary canon. The best of them also add to and expand the human canon—a feat Khanh Ha accomplishes with grace and power in this collection. The author’s lush, sensual descriptions give us the textured experience, the sight and smell and feel of Vietnam; hell, they will let you taste the country. At the same time they challenge any lingering stereotypes by presenting characters, Vietnamese and American, with complex—and complexly imagined—inner lives. As the best fiction does, these stories allow us to live within lives unlike our own, to understand their differences—differences over which we once tried to kill each other—and yet to also find in them our own mirrored selves.”
—Wayne Karlin, winner of the Juniper Prize in Fiction and the Vietnam Veterans of America Excellence in the Arts Award

“In these eleven poetic tales, Khanh Ha individualizes the Vietnam War and makes it hauntingly real. The War and its aftereffects come alive as a grief-stricken mother searches the Mekong Delta for her son’s remains, as a prisoner of war struggles to survive his jungle internment, and as a soldier resigns himself to the loss of his limbs and sight. Told with Hemingway-esque simplicity, these stories assail us like ghosts and linger way beyond their initial reading.”
—James Hanna, author of The Siege and Call Me Pomeroy.

REVIEWS

The US Review of Books writes, “At once poignant and jarring….The spare but lyrical narratives transport the reader into the dreamlike riverine landscapes of a nation haunted by the ghosts of this (the Vietnam War) massive conflict…making this a must-read for anyone….” Read the full review here.

Midwest Book Review writes, “Readers seeking atmospheric reads about Vietnam that bring the country and its peoples – survivors, healers, and villagers alike – to life will find the landscapes and culture of a world wrecked by loss and war makes for compelling reading, indeed. This juxtaposition of pain and beauty runs through every story and makes them impossible to put down and hard to forget.”

A Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Selection!
“A Mother’s Tale & Other Stories is a poignant and thoughtful book that provides a keen insight into the lives of ordinary people impacted by war. Author Khanh Ha showcases the brutal nature of war through a set of personal and intimate stories that put a mark on your soul. Each tale focuses upon a specific set of characters who provide a rare glimpse into the ground realities of war from both sides of the conflict. This book reiterates the age-old adage that there are no winners in war. The characters feel real, and I found them thoroughly compelling. Every story felt captivating, and I found myself absolutely immersed in the pages. If you’re interested in intimate stories about war that explore the human condition, I highly recommend this book.”

GoodReads reviews are unequivocal: “It is impossible to read this collection without being impacted by the stories. This is a book that will stay with you forever.”

Check out CelticLadyReview’s super strong review.

ReadingAvidly’s blog endorses A Mother’s Tale.

Another great endorsement from SavvyVerseAndWit.