Wandering Souls: The literary debut novel longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 - ‘Beautiful’, R. F. Kuang

Wonderful and touching storytelling of fear, pain, loss, grief, hope, joy, love, and peace. Love how this story folds in the multiple generations on so many levels. The author addressed so many complicated issues with sensitivity, empathy, and tenderness. You felt her love for all of the characters. Hard to believe this is a debut novel.

I love family stories! I loved following Anh, Thanh and Minh through their journey to finally arrive in their new home. So many people they encounter! Great read! It reminded me of family stories like The island of the missing trees by Elif Shafak or All my mothers by Joanna Glen.

Questa giovane scrittrice di origine vietnamita, nipote di boat people, racconta con mano ferma e senza sentimentalismi la storia di una sua antenata scampata alla guerra in Vietnam e fuggita in UK negli anni '70.Il libro ha una sua parte immaginifica, breve e intensa, che alleggerisce un po' l'atmosfera cupa e ripetitiva delle vicende dei tre fratelli, gli unici scampati alle terribili traversate nel mar della Cina.Libro interessante con un finale molto orientale, di insegnamento per noi occidentali che diamo così poca importanza alla tumulazione dei nostri parenti.Lo consiglio come libro anche informativo su una cultura poco nota come quella vietnamita.

Very readable. A challenging story line but with a positive energy of resilience and survival.

Wandering Souls is the story of Vietnamese refugees; their struggles, their hope, their resilience. The lingering effects of the trauma experienced by the main characters is gut wrenching. The writing is brilliant for this first novel by Cecile Pin.