This next country we’re reading is a compelling one that Mia chose.
Can you guess from these Fact File tidbits about the country which land we’ll be reading in July?
One of the biggest producers of cashew nuts in the world.
Owns about 20% of the coffee market share & is the 2nd largest global producer.
Their national anthem translates to “The Song of the Marching Troops.”
Home to the world’s largest cave. The cave interior is so massive it could fit an entire New York City block inside it, including skyscrapers, or have a Boeing 747 comfortably fly through without its wings being in any danger.
Observes a “love market” festival that commemorates a tragic forbidden love story & gives modern-day ex-lovers a chance to meet on neutral territory.
In 938 AD, the people there developed a trade system to exchange animal skins, ivory, & tropical goods for writings on administration, philosophy, & literature.
The unemployment rate is 1 of the lowest of all developing countries in the world.
If you haven’t guessed what country it is yet, what if I note the legend that the people of this land originated from a union between an immortal Chinese princess and “The Dragon Lord of the Seas” or that it’s 1 of just 5 communist countries still in existence?
So what country are we adventuring to next?
It’s Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam (i.e., the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam as it is officially called or “Vietnam” as it’s referred to in English).
But before we get to your book suggestions, check out this amazing food memoir I just downloaded from the acclaimed chefs behind Hy Vong, an award-winning Vietnamese restaurant.
”In 1975, after narrowly escaping the fall of Saigon, pregnant refugee and gifted cook Tung Nguyen ended up in the Miami home of Kathy Manning, a graduate student and waitress who was taking in displaced Vietnamese refugees. This serendipitous meeting evolved into a decades-long partnership, one that eventually turned strangers into family and a tiny, no-frills eatery into one of the most lauded restaurants in the country.
Tung's fierce practicality often clashed with Kathy's free-spirited nature, but over time, they found a harmony in their contrasts—a harmony embodied in the restaurant's signature mango and peppercorns sauce.
An inspiring memoir peppered with recipes, it is a riveting read that will appeal to fans of Roy Choi, Ed Lee, Ruth Reichl, and Kwame Onwuachi. This real-life American dream is also a welcome reminder of our country's longstanding tradition of welcoming refugees and immigrants. This book adds a touchpoint to that larger conversation, resonating beyond the bookshelf.
Mango and Peppercorns is a powerful book of resilience, friendship, family, and food.”
Now onto the books for the club.
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Vietnamese suggestions by Sun., June 20 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time. See it converted to your time below.)
You can comment with your suggestion below or in our online book club in Facebook.
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 of my suggestions, & 2 suggestions from Mia (the book club co-admin) to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will provide their thoughts. The book judged as best will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere