Genre Fiction
![Thao Thai - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BSXNJNYV.jpg)
Banyan Moon: A Read with Jenna Pick
A TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
"A riveting mother-daughter tale." - Elle
"A celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles
A sweeping, evocative debut novel following three generations of Vietnamese American women reeling from the death of their matriarch, revealing the family's inherited burdens, buried secrets, and unlikely love stories.
When Ann Tran gets the call that her fiercely beloved grandmother, Minh, has passed away, her life is already at a crossroads. In the years since she's last seen Minh, Ann has built a seemingly perfect life-a beautiful lake house, a charming professor boyfriend, and invites to elegant parties that bubble over with champagne and good taste-but it all crumbles with one positive pregnancy test. With both her relationship and carefully planned future now in question, Ann returns home to Florida to face her estranged mother, Huơng.
Back in Florida, Huơng is simultaneously mourning her mother and resenting her for having the relationship with Ann that she never did. Then Ann and Huơng learn that Minh has left them both the Banyan House, the crumbling old manor that was Ann's childhood home, in all its strange, Gothic glory. Under the same roof for the first time in years, mother and daughter must face the simmering questions of their past and their uncertain futures, while trying to rebuild their relationship without the one person who's always held them together.
Running parallel to this is Minh's story, as she goes from a lovestruck teenager living in the shadow of the Vietnam War to a determined young mother immigrating to America in search of a better life for her children. And when Ann makes a shocking discovery in the Banyan House's attic, long-buried secrets come to light as it becomes clear how decisions Minh made in her youth affected the rest of her life-and beyond.
Spanning decades and continents, from 1960s Vietnam to the wild swamplands of the Florida coast, Banyan Moon is a stunning and deeply moving story of mothers and daughters, the things we inherit, and the lives we choose to make out of that inheritance.
"A riveting mother-daughter tale." - Elle
"A celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles
A sweeping, evocative debut novel following three generations of Vietnamese American women reeling from the death of their matriarch, revealing the family's inherited burdens, buried secrets, and unlikely love stories.
When Ann Tran gets the call that her fiercely beloved grandmother, Minh, has passed away, her life is already at a crossroads. In the years since she's last seen Minh, Ann has built a seemingly perfect life-a beautiful lake house, a charming professor boyfriend, and invites to elegant parties that bubble over with champagne and good taste-but it all crumbles with one positive pregnancy test. With both her relationship and carefully planned future now in question, Ann returns home to Florida to face her estranged mother, Huơng.
Back in Florida, Huơng is simultaneously mourning her mother and resenting her for having the relationship with Ann that she never did. Then Ann and Huơng learn that Minh has left them both the Banyan House, the crumbling old manor that was Ann's childhood home, in all its strange, Gothic glory. Under the same roof for the first time in years, mother and daughter must face the simmering questions of their past and their uncertain futures, while trying to rebuild their relationship without the one person who's always held them together.
Running parallel to this is Minh's story, as she goes from a lovestruck teenager living in the shadow of the Vietnam War to a determined young mother immigrating to America in search of a better life for her children. And when Ann makes a shocking discovery in the Banyan House's attic, long-buried secrets come to light as it becomes clear how decisions Minh made in her youth affected the rest of her life-and beyond.
Spanning decades and continents, from 1960s Vietnam to the wild swamplands of the Florida coast, Banyan Moon is a stunning and deeply moving story of mothers and daughters, the things we inherit, and the lives we choose to make out of that inheritance.
Editorial Reviews
"A riveting mother-daughter tale spanning two different timelines, and anchored by the magnetic pull of a Gothic home known as the Banyan House, Banyan Moon is author Thao Thai's beautiful debut." - Elle, Best Books of 2023
"A compelling look at three generations of women, from 1960s Vietnam to modern-day Florida. ... Readers who savor many unexpected twists and a surprising conclusion will be rewarded." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Spanning decades and continents, vignettes of a teenage Minh's life in 1960s Vietnam add vibrant strokes to a searing portrait of mothers and daughters." - Entertainment Weekly
"A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles
"Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage." - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child
"Well worth reading." - Vogue
"Haunting, a little spooky and occasionally heartbreaking, this sweeping debut novel follows three generations of Vietnamese women as they try to find their way in the world." - Good Housekeeping, Best Books of 2023
"Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact the Vi...
"A compelling look at three generations of women, from 1960s Vietnam to modern-day Florida. ... Readers who savor many unexpected twists and a surprising conclusion will be rewarded." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Spanning decades and continents, vignettes of a teenage Minh's life in 1960s Vietnam add vibrant strokes to a searing portrait of mothers and daughters." - Entertainment Weekly
"A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles
"Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage." - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child
"Well worth reading." - Vogue
"Haunting, a little spooky and occasionally heartbreaking, this sweeping debut novel follows three generations of Vietnamese women as they try to find their way in the world." - Good Housekeeping, Best Books of 2023
"Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact the Vi...
Readers Top Reviews
Gwendolyn Haynes
I could hardly get through the 1st chapter. It is obvious this is a first book. It feels like the author is trying WAY to hard to have beautiful prose and a poetic style. It is very distracting from the story itself. I do not plan to finish the book. Not worth my time.
Kindle Gwendolyn
I never would have noticed this beautifully written book if it hadn’t been chosen as a celebrity book club pick. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read Banyan Moon before it was published. I found myself reading the words slowly and even rereading sentences which captured a feeling so perfectly. Bravo to an amazing author I’ll keep on my favorite author list now.
B. J. TaylorKindl
I often find myself drawn to multi-generational family stories. “Banyan Moon” immediately drew me right into the lives of three generations of Vietnamese women – Minh, the grandmother; Huong, the daughter; and Ann, the granddaughter. The story opens with the death of Minh. Ann, born in the US and living in California, returns to her crumbling childhood home in Florida, a home with an old banyan tree growing at its side. Ann now must reconnect with her estranged mother. Unknown to her mother, Ann’s seemingly perfect life in California is in question after she discovers she is pregnant. Minh’s narratives are set in Vietnam and follow her life as a teenager during the Vietnam War and follow her as she flees to the US in search of a better life for her children. The love between Minh and Ann was beautiful, and my heart warmed at their interactions. “Banyan Moon” is an emotional character-driven story. The story is told from alternating perspectives of the three strong-willed women. It runs the gamut of emotions with its tale of losses, regrets, secrets, heartbreak, and, ultimately, love. The best part of the story for me was how Ann and Huong had to re-examine their past together and realize how much they do love each other. Thai uses beautiful imagery throughout the book, especially involving the banyan tree. If you are a fan of Nguyen Phan Que Mai, I recommend you give this book a try. I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.
HappiestWhileRead
Readers who appreciate character-driven novels with strong women characters will want to read Banyan Moon, the debut novel by Thao Thai. It has five primary characters - three women and two objects. The women: Mihn the grandmother, Huong the daughter, and Ann the daughter. The objects: a huge, decaying manor house and the majestic banyan tree that grows near it. Told with a nonlinear structure, Banyan Moon begins with the death of Mihn and shares the generational trauma, family secrets, losses, and loves of three generations of a Vietnamese American family. A common theme is the strife between mothers and daughters and the formational relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter. The plot traces Mihn's early life in Vietnam, her immigration to the United States to provide a better life for her young children, and her later years living in the large crumbling home. Along the way, insights about Huong's and Ann's lives and relationships are also revealed. Thank you to Mariner Books and the Thoughts From a Page podcast for the review copy.
Mitzi KHappiestWh
BANYAN MOON by Thao Thai is a mesmerizing and poignant first novel that immerses readers in the lives of three generations of Vietnamese American women who are navigating the profound loss of their matriarch. Within the pages of this book, these women confront the weight of life's challenges, expectations, and situations, all while unearthing long-buried secrets. I loved the exquisite prose and the compelling development of the characters, making it a true joy to read. I eagerly anticipate Thao Thai's future literary work, curious to discover what this talented author will deliver next! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
