Bronze Drum: A Novel of Sisters and War

"Thrillingly cinematic, Bronze Drum recounts the legend of Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, two sisters barely out of their teens who liberated Vietnam from colonial rule in A.D. 40. Combining meticulous historical research with emotional immediacy, Phong Nguyen vividly evokes the cultural chasm between Chinese and Vietnamese worldviews, in which the former’s repressive patriarchal system directly conflicts with the natives’ matriarchal model, where women can inherit property, have multiple romantic partners and form flexible family arrangements. As syncopated weapon and storytelling instrument, the bronze drum in the novel symbolizes Vietnam’s unyielding spirit and rich cultural heritage."