This is a captivating tale of 3 generations of Vietnamese-American women. spanning two continents and encompassing the years just before and during the American War (known to us as the Vietnam War. ). This beautifully written debut novel begins with the death of the …more matriarch, Minh, and reflects upon the relationships between herself, her daughter, Huong, and her beloved granddaughter, Ann.

The novel unfolds when Ann, as an adult with a promising future returns to her ancestral home, the crumbling house in the shadow of a large banyan tree (hence the title) for her Grandmother's funeral. Here she is confronted with the strained relationship which has long existed with her mother, Huong. "They have run out of things to say a long time ago."

The author reveals episodes in the lives of all three women, a tangle of emotions portraying the love, loss, regrets, secrets, misunderstandings and things which can never be repaired.

The ending is satisfying, but not predictable. The tale is filled with beautiful imagery and sprinkled with some old-world superstitions and wisdom, including a Vietnamese folktale about the "Man in the moon", which has been passed down through the generations.

Banyan Moon is one of the most poignant, heartwarming books I have read in quite a while. (less)