Monkey Bridge (1997) by Lan Cao is a novel that explores the immigrant experience of a Vietnamese mother and daughter, Thanh and Mai, who flee Vietnam for the United States after the fall of Saigon in 1975. As they attempt to build new lives in America, Mai adapts quickly, but Thanh struggles, unable to escape the traumas of her past. The novel delves into cultural clashes, generational conflict, and buried family secrets that emerge through letters detailing Thanh’s troubled past, including betrayal and violence tied to her father’s actions during the Vietnam War. Themes of memory, identity, and the burden of history are central to this poignant and complex story.
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