Genealogy Books - Paradise of the Blind: A Novel

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Summary: The Struggle: Paradise of the Blind
Comment: Hearing people complain about their lives and how the world treats them so unfairly will really make
one think about the reality of what they are saying after they read the novel, Paradise of the
Blind. Coming from a Vietnamese background, I was intrigued to read this novel because I saw a
slight connection, but after just a few chapters, I realized that people from all ethnic backgrounds
could appreciate this novel. Paradise of the Blind deals with the struggle of three women in
Vietnam and how they try to overcome their obstacles in their communist world and make a future for
themselves and their family.
Hang, the main character of the novel, is summoned in the first
chapter to go attend to her sick uncle. The story takes place on the train to Russia where Hang
remembers back to her life living in communist Vietnam. She reminisces about her mother, Que, who
would do anything to keep her and her daughter healthy and happy. She can still remember playing
the streets of Vietnam while her mother was out selling odds and ends to keep them alive. Along the
way, we hear details about Hang's father and about his death that Que never wants to tell Hang
about. With Hang's father, comes Aunt Tam. She is the rich aunt that won't deny Hang anything.
Paradise of the Blind tells about the life of these women and how through land reforms, death,
poverty, love, and hate, these women survive and make a life for themselves.

The accounts of
these women left me with a sense of knowledge about the restrictive time period that they lived in.
Although very profound, this novel can surely be enjoyed by all audiences. The simplicity of the
language helps the reader understand the real meaning that this novel is trying to share, and a
truth like this one should not be kept in the dark.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Paradise of the Blind
Comment: The book Paradise of the Blind describes the hardships of three young Vietnamese women. Paradise of
the Blind is a very interesting and truthful book that allows readers to understand what Vietnamese
go through daily. Written by Dyong Thu Huong, Paradise of the Blind goes in great depths describing
the Vietnamese's idealistic hope and betrayal of Communism.
This book focuses on the life of a
young lady, Hang, and her relationship with both her mothers and fathers relatives. Hang is a
twenty-year-old exported worker in Russia, who has a series of flashbacks. On her train ride to
Moscow, Hang recalls how her uncle Chinh tore her family apart and destroyed the relationship
between her and her mother. Her mother Que moved to Hanoi and became a street vendor because of the
land reforms. Hang blames her uncle Chinh for her father's departing, her Aunt Tam becoming poor,
and her mother becoming a street vendor. She realizes that she can only move on with her life and
succeed only if she distances herself from her family and their history. "I can't squander my life
tending these faded flowers, the legacy of past crimes," (Huong 57). Her Aunt Tam is convinced and
determined that her hard work will benefit Hang someday. Hang is forcefully torn between her mother
Que and her Aunt Tam.
Overall, Dyong Thu Huong expresses a great deal of description of both the
characters and their thoughts and feelings. One fact that really shocked and surprised me was that
Paradise of the Blind was one of the first books written under Vietnamese Communist Regime ever
translated into English. This book is well translated and is an easy read. It makes you think and
appreciate how lucky you really are. If you truly want to understand the history of Vietnam and
what life is like under communism, this is a must read.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Past tragedy
Comment: As you take the novel Paradise of the Blind off of the shelf, you cannot help but notice the picture
painted on the cover of a young girl holding hands with her mother. The picture distortion gives
it a blurry effect, perhaps letting the reader know that they are entering a new world where things
are seen differently. Turning the story to the first page, you can hear in your mind the voice of
the young girl that is talking. You can almost feel what she feels; the loneliness, the desperation,
the heartache, and the pain of a long past. This is the whole basis of the novel; endless
descriptions of the surroundings and culture superstitions of a Vietnamese people and a young girl
growing up with it all.
"You could smell the evening smells melting into one: straw fires
burning, bean shells mixed with young rice roasting, the pungent stench of fresh buffalo dung,
guavas ripening in the garden" (Huong, 75), quotes Hang, from the novel Paradise of the Blind. The
words envelop you, bringing the descriptions alive, giving the reader a sense of actually being
where she is, of experiencing what she is experiencing. You can almost smell what she is smelling.
The novel is a wonderful door to a new world that allows one to feel, from the perspective of a
Vietnamese woman, the pains and pleasures of growing up and living in the Vietnamese culture.

The setting takes off in Russia where the main character, Hang, is living as an imported worker.
From Russia, you jump all the way to a small town in Vietnam, Hanoi, where this young woman spent
her childhood. Throughout the novel, the main character, Hang, recalls memories from her past. She
reflects on these events and focuses mostly on her mother, her Aunt Tam, and her Uncle Chinh. The
conflicts of the novel deal with her feelings towards each of them. She faced a mother who devoted
all her love to her brother without reserving any for her daughter, an uncle that caused her
father's death, and an aunt who traps Hang with her expectations and judgmental love. The story
conveys Hang's struggle with growing up and discovering who she is during her childhood. As you
listen to what she has to say, you understand that she is trying to overcome her past and move on
from it.
If you are interested in understanding and exploring Asian culture along with its
people, then Paradise of the Blind is a sure read. I recommend it to men and women past the age of
14. Younger readers may have a difficult time with the emotional context and the thematic elements.
If you are someone who needs an action packed story full of violence or twisting plot, this book is
not for you. If you enjoy biographies or even just entering a world different than the western one,
then this book is for you.
While the stories of the protagonist may at times be slow, the
whole essence of the book leaves one with a sense of compassion and understanding for a girl they
don't even know. It introduces a lifestyle that one may not be used to and through this helps to
build tolerance for a different way of life.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Interesting view of Vietnam
Comment: Anyone interested in Vietnamese history and culture outside of the Vietnam War will find this book
very interesting and thought provoking.

Though written by a former member of the Vietnamese
Communist Party and someone who fought for the communists the book is very anti-communist party and
its leadership. The book gives a devestating look at the land reform campaign of the 1950's.

The
bottom line is the book is well translated and easy to read. And it gives us a look at Vietnam most
of us have never seen before. It is a good read and makes you think!

Customer Rating:

Summary: A thought provoking book.
Comment: This disturbing book describes how the communist regime in post war Vietnam trampled the hopes and
dreams of the peasants it professed to serve. This book is beautifully written the descriptions of
the land and the people are very poetic.

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