The beauty of humanity movement

297 pages

English language

Published Jan. 1, 2010 by Doubleday Canada.

ISBN:
978-0-385-66322-9
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OCLC Number:
608946213

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1 star (1 review)

Searching for answers about her dissident father's disappearance, a Vietnamese-American art curator returns to her ancestral country, where she meets a venerable pho stall soup maker and a dynamic young tour guide whose historical and cultural insights irrevocably shape her life.

1 edition

Review of 'The beauty of humanity movement' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

yes, i guess she had to put 'a novel' otherwise this would look like a buddhist or self help tome. as such, the title was displeasing to me and i put off reading the book for as long as i could before bookclub.
with such a biais to start, i easily found myself not liking it. it was as if the author ate a delicious bowl of pho, became interested in making it at home, learned more and more about vietnamese cuisine, and eventually visited the country as a foodie tourist... the vietnam war and subsequent persecution under the communist regime was fortuitous plot extender.
beyond the idea of being so focused on your own misery, you become blind to the equal misfortunes of your fellow man - i didn't see any solid theme. like i said, it read more like a travel/cuisine guide. (and it irritated me that money …

Subjects

  • Vietnamese Americans
  • Fiction
  • Dissenters

Places

  • Vietnam