Book Review of Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen

 

Name of Book: Bronze Drum

Author: Phong Nguyen 

ISBN: 978-1-5387-5370-5

Publisher: Grand Central 

Type of book: 36-51 ME, Vietnam, sisters, ancient story, retelling, Han China, colonization, women of army, bronze drum, history 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

A stunning novel of ancient Vietnam based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over a united people, for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger.

Gather around, children of Chu Diên, and be brave.

For even to listen to the story of the Trưng Sisters is,

in these troubled times, a dangerous act.

In 40 CE, in the Lạc Việt region of ancient Vietnam, two daughters of a Vietnamese Lord fill their days training, studying, and trying to stay true to Vietnamese traditions. While Trưng Trắc is disciplined and wise, always excelling in her duty, Trưng Nhi is fierce and free spirited, more concerned with spending time in the gardens and with lovers.

But these sisters' lives—and the lives of their people—are shadowed by the oppressive rule of the Han Chinese. They are forced to adopt Confucian teachings, secure marriages, and pay ever‑increasing taxes. As the peoples' frustration boils over, the country comes ever closer to the edge of war.

Characters:

Basically the main characters are the sisters: Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. Trung Trac is the older sister, a young filial woman who is loyal to her family and will do the best she can. She is an intellectual and is willing to do what she can for her parents. She is best described as the brains. The younger sister, Trung Nhi is very passionate, doesn't listen and ends up with an unusual punishment. She inspires loyalty and is the heart of the army. She has no desire for marriage or children, but desires fun. There are plenty of secondary characters such as the tutor or the guard or the sisters' parents or even the cook and her family. 

Theme:

What is progress?

Plot:

The tale is written in third person narrative, primarily from Trac's and Nhi's points of view. If I was asked the strong points of the novel it would be unique time and setting and an incredible culture that the west knows very little about, (beyond the French Indochina and Vietnam War.) I loved learning more in depth about life in ancient Vietnam as well as gaining knowledge about an unknown tale. I think the weaknesses of the novel would definitely be that the characters weren't very three dimensional or extremely complex, and there also seemed a tug and pull in filling out missing information. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

When I first heard of this novel, I was very excited because it had a lot of my favorite elements: ancient history, amazing women, and history of southeast Asia (Vietnam, but I love Asian history) While it sounded like an excellent novel and there is plenty to enjoy, the execution and style weren't my favorite. My favorite parts are that its good to see Vietnam way before the French and Americans conquered it and its good to see that colonization and conquer isn't strictly a European quality. Its also admirable to learn more of deeper history of Vietnam, especially about the significance of bronze drums and the tale of the Trung sisters. 

This was given for review

3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)