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Twilight Territory: A Novel
A sweeping first novel of love, war, and resistance in post–World War II Vietnam, by the award-winning author of Catfish and Mandala.
The peak of the hot season, 1942: The wars in Europe and Asia and the Japanese occupation have upset the uneasy balance of French Indochina. In the Vietnamese fishing village of Phan Thiet, Tuyet ekes out a living at a small storefront with her aunt Coi, her cousin Ha, and her two-year-old daughter, Anh. She can hardly remember her luxurious life in the city of Saigon, which she left just two years ago.
The day Tuyet meets Japanese major Yamazaki Takeshi is inauspicious and stifling, with no relief from the sand-stirring wind. But to her surprise, she feels not fear or wariness, but a strange kinship. Tuyet is guarded, knowing how the townspeople might whisper, yet is drawn to Takeshi’s warmth all the same. A wounded veteran with a good heart, Takeshi grows to resent the Empire for what it has taken—and the promises it has failed to keep. As the Viet Minh begin to battle the French and Takeshi risks his life for the Resistance, Tuyet and her family are drawn into the conflict, with devastating consequences.
A lushly panoramic novel, by turns gritty and profoundly moving, Twilight Territory is at once a war story and a love story that offers a fascinating perspective on Vietnam’s struggles to break free of its French colonial past. At its heart is one woman’s struggle for independence and her country’s liberation.
The peak of the hot season, 1942: The wars in Europe and Asia and the Japanese occupation have upset the uneasy balance of French Indochina. In the Vietnamese fishing village of Phan Thiet, Tuyet ekes out a living at a small storefront with her aunt Coi, her cousin Ha, and her two-year-old daughter, Anh. She can hardly remember her luxurious life in the city of Saigon, which she left just two years ago.
The day Tuyet meets Japanese major Yamazaki Takeshi is inauspicious and stifling, with no relief from the sand-stirring wind. But to her surprise, she feels not fear or wariness, but a strange kinship. Tuyet is guarded, knowing how the townspeople might whisper, yet is drawn to Takeshi’s warmth all the same. A wounded veteran with a good heart, Takeshi grows to resent the Empire for what it has taken—and the promises it has failed to keep. As the Viet Minh begin to battle the French and Takeshi risks his life for the Resistance, Tuyet and her family are drawn into the conflict, with devastating consequences.
A lushly panoramic novel, by turns gritty and profoundly moving, Twilight Territory is at once a war story and a love story that offers a fascinating perspective on Vietnam’s struggles to break free of its French colonial past. At its heart is one woman’s struggle for independence and her country’s liberation.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2024
About the author
Andrew X. Pham
8 books179 followersHammock Navigator, Wine Taster, Lord of the Desk and the Writer's Block, Keyboard Slayer and Protector of the Realm
Detailed Bio: https://www.andrewxpham.com/
Detailed Bio: https://www.andrewxpham.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
November 15, 2023
In a small Vietnamese fishing village in French Indochina, Tuyet and her aunt Coi, cousin Ha and daughter Anh all live together and her aunt runs a small shop. Tuyet is a divorced single mother, she meets Japanese major Yamazaki Takeshi, Tuyet is cautious around soldiers and she’s surprise to discover he’s different and not like the others.
Yamazaki Takeshi is from Hokkaido, he’d just finished university when he was conscripted into the Japanese army, he was severely wounded and in 1942 was transferred to oversee Thiet Airbase. Yamazaki knows the Japanese Empire is going to be defeated, it’s just a matter of time and he’s right. Yamazaki has hidden a stash of gold and precious stones, and he wants to use this to one day return to Japan, to paint and go fishing with his father and this leads to him making enemies and they won’t stop until they hunt him down and find out where he's stashed the bounty.
The Viet Minh was an Indochinese Communist Party and Resistance, they wanted independence for Vietnam, the members were anti French Jackals and Japanese Fascists, Yamazaki and Tuyet become involved. This means they spend a lot of time apart, constantly on the move and looking over their shoulders.
I received a digital copy of Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham from W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A historical fiction saga that spans over a decade, it’s set during the Second World War, Japanese invasion and Vietnam trying to break free from colonial rule, included in the story are widespread corruption, famine and suffering, exploitation of young girls and women, rape and violence.
I really liked and admired the characters of Tuyet and Coi, both are strong, courageous and empowering women, and they had to deal with hardship, tragedy, loss and consequences of the family being involved in the resistance and with the Viet Minh, including homelessness, imprisoned and torture.
The narrative has vivid descriptions of the landscape and scenery of Vietnam, the yummy food, use of natural medicine, culture, traditions, celebrations, rituals and details of Tuyet and Yamazaki romantic relationship. I did learn a lot about French Indochina and Vietnam, I think the novel could have been shorter and four stars.
Yamazaki Takeshi is from Hokkaido, he’d just finished university when he was conscripted into the Japanese army, he was severely wounded and in 1942 was transferred to oversee Thiet Airbase. Yamazaki knows the Japanese Empire is going to be defeated, it’s just a matter of time and he’s right. Yamazaki has hidden a stash of gold and precious stones, and he wants to use this to one day return to Japan, to paint and go fishing with his father and this leads to him making enemies and they won’t stop until they hunt him down and find out where he's stashed the bounty.
The Viet Minh was an Indochinese Communist Party and Resistance, they wanted independence for Vietnam, the members were anti French Jackals and Japanese Fascists, Yamazaki and Tuyet become involved. This means they spend a lot of time apart, constantly on the move and looking over their shoulders.
I received a digital copy of Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham from W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A historical fiction saga that spans over a decade, it’s set during the Second World War, Japanese invasion and Vietnam trying to break free from colonial rule, included in the story are widespread corruption, famine and suffering, exploitation of young girls and women, rape and violence.
I really liked and admired the characters of Tuyet and Coi, both are strong, courageous and empowering women, and they had to deal with hardship, tragedy, loss and consequences of the family being involved in the resistance and with the Viet Minh, including homelessness, imprisoned and torture.
The narrative has vivid descriptions of the landscape and scenery of Vietnam, the yummy food, use of natural medicine, culture, traditions, celebrations, rituals and details of Tuyet and Yamazaki romantic relationship. I did learn a lot about French Indochina and Vietnam, I think the novel could have been shorter and four stars.
December 23, 2023
2.5 rounded up.
Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham introduces readers to a captivating period in Vietnam's history, providing a unique and valuable perspective on an era with limited representation in English literature. The story delves into lesser-known events of Vietnam's recent past, making it an enlightening read for English-speaking audiences. While Pham succeeds in transporting readers to a specific time and place in Vietnam, my overall appreciation of the novel was hampered by the writing.
Pham's style often felt awkward, marked by stilted dialogue and occasional wooden expressions that hindered the flow of the story. The author's choice to include translated poems or sayings without context and the absence of diacritics for Vietnamese words created a sense of missed opportunity and detracted from the immersive experience. Historical information was also dumped on the reader intermittently, disrupting the novel's flow and drying out the narrative.
While the story is a commendable effort to share an important piece of Vietnamese history, the execution left something to be desired. Despite a vested interest in Vietnam, I felt disconnected from the story and ended up skimming large portions of the book.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham introduces readers to a captivating period in Vietnam's history, providing a unique and valuable perspective on an era with limited representation in English literature. The story delves into lesser-known events of Vietnam's recent past, making it an enlightening read for English-speaking audiences. While Pham succeeds in transporting readers to a specific time and place in Vietnam, my overall appreciation of the novel was hampered by the writing.
Pham's style often felt awkward, marked by stilted dialogue and occasional wooden expressions that hindered the flow of the story. The author's choice to include translated poems or sayings without context and the absence of diacritics for Vietnamese words created a sense of missed opportunity and detracted from the immersive experience. Historical information was also dumped on the reader intermittently, disrupting the novel's flow and drying out the narrative.
While the story is a commendable effort to share an important piece of Vietnamese history, the execution left something to be desired. Despite a vested interest in Vietnam, I felt disconnected from the story and ended up skimming large portions of the book.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2024
'It is natural; for the weak to fear the strong'.
As the years of WW2 continued to ravage Europe, in 1942 the theatre of the Pacific was just getting started. Vietnam had already contended with French colonialism and now the Japanese were making their presence felt. No one knew who to side with - or indeed if a side needed to be taken. Tuyet is happy enough with her rural subsistence running a shop with her aunt, cousin, and daughter, but her relative peace is upended when the local Japanese officer, Yamazaki Takeshi takes an interest in her. Just what will it take to survive?
'Twilight Territory' is a story of love: love between two people, love for your friends and family, and love for your country. As political stability continues to be vacuumed out of Vietnam, choices are constricted and hardship is magnified. Pham has put together a dense story that is well-researched. I enjoyed learning more about the tumultuous events that eventually led to the Vietnam War.
Chaos, corruption, and camaraderie are the three defining words to summate this novel.
As the years of WW2 continued to ravage Europe, in 1942 the theatre of the Pacific was just getting started. Vietnam had already contended with French colonialism and now the Japanese were making their presence felt. No one knew who to side with - or indeed if a side needed to be taken. Tuyet is happy enough with her rural subsistence running a shop with her aunt, cousin, and daughter, but her relative peace is upended when the local Japanese officer, Yamazaki Takeshi takes an interest in her. Just what will it take to survive?
'Twilight Territory' is a story of love: love between two people, love for your friends and family, and love for your country. As political stability continues to be vacuumed out of Vietnam, choices are constricted and hardship is magnified. Pham has put together a dense story that is well-researched. I enjoyed learning more about the tumultuous events that eventually led to the Vietnam War.
Chaos, corruption, and camaraderie are the three defining words to summate this novel.
July 19, 2024
I can’t understand how this was picked for the Big Library Read. There is little character development, there really is very little history covered, the violence is unending and very graphic, the writing is stiff, all the details seem to be unnecessary and not key to the characters or plot line, and it reads more like the audio description in movies or TV for the sight impaired than anything else
I’m not done with it yet, but can’t get motivated to finish the last 1/4 since the first 3/4s has been excruciating. Am I missing something?
I’m not done with it yet, but can’t get motivated to finish the last 1/4 since the first 3/4s has been excruciating. Am I missing something?
Currently reading
July 13, 2024Note: For those of you who use the Libby app
Borrow Twilight Territory to join Big Library Read, the global book club.
Big Library Read connects readers around the world with the same book at the same time. This title will be available with no waitlists or holds as an ebook or audiobook from July 11 - July 25, 2024.
July 15, 2024
4.5 stars ⭐️
Got this book as part of the “Big Library Read”.
Warning for graphic descriptions of animal violence, torture, and sexual assault, including minors.
There is something beautifully direct about the writing style (minus some fat-shaming on the part of the narrator); it’s observational, with deeply detailed descriptions reserved for scenes of high emotion. And I appreciate the Vietnamese people are not positioned as pitiable, unintelligent, or spiritless, though they were (and had been for some time) under the thumb of French rule and are often presented this way in American text books. They are also not a monolith in behaviors or political opinions.
From a character perspective, everyone is generally out for themselves, so their relationships feel realistic:
Yamazaki is smart, we’re told he’s gifted but then also shown his foresight — he cares deeply, as shown by his actions, and is not a one-sided “good” character (there’s a little moral grey happening). He takes advantage of opportunities, and becomes more real as a result.
And Tuyet is so smart in different ways, they complement one another well — she doesn’t trust easily, she’s observant, and was quickly thrown into survival mode with a child to support, but she is extremely hard working. When she does allow herself to trust, it means more than if she’d been immediately smitten with Yamazaki. And when she does get knocked down, when she is broken, you understand just how deep the emotional toll must go; she represents the unique suffering of women. Her character gives depth to many of the facts which could read as cold and superficial on the page — the violence of war, a child’s passing, a storefront destroyed.
Also…aiya! This book sent me to Google enough times to ruin my algorithm in research, and I hope it did the same for others. Because I’m now kind of ashamed at how little I knew about the French colonization of Vietnam (among other areas) and their battle for independence.
This book has a melancholy overtone, so I don’t see myself returning to it. It touched on important topics; narratively, it could have stood to be a tad shorter. But overall glad it was offered as part of the Big Library Read program — I really do hope it gets minds turning.
Got this book as part of the “Big Library Read”.
Warning for graphic descriptions of animal violence, torture, and sexual assault, including minors.
There is something beautifully direct about the writing style (minus some fat-shaming on the part of the narrator); it’s observational, with deeply detailed descriptions reserved for scenes of high emotion. And I appreciate the Vietnamese people are not positioned as pitiable, unintelligent, or spiritless, though they were (and had been for some time) under the thumb of French rule and are often presented this way in American text books. They are also not a monolith in behaviors or political opinions.
From a character perspective, everyone is generally out for themselves, so their relationships feel realistic:
Yamazaki is smart, we’re told he’s gifted but then also shown his foresight — he cares deeply, as shown by his actions, and is not a one-sided “good” character (there’s a little moral grey happening). He takes advantage of opportunities, and becomes more real as a result.
And Tuyet is so smart in different ways, they complement one another well — she doesn’t trust easily, she’s observant, and was quickly thrown into survival mode with a child to support, but she is extremely hard working. When she does allow herself to trust, it means more than if she’d been immediately smitten with Yamazaki. And when she does get knocked down, when she is broken, you understand just how deep the emotional toll must go; she represents the unique suffering of women. Her character gives depth to many of the facts which could read as cold and superficial on the page — the violence of war, a child’s passing, a storefront destroyed.
Also…aiya! This book sent me to Google enough times to ruin my algorithm in research, and I hope it did the same for others. Because I’m now kind of ashamed at how little I knew about the French colonization of Vietnam (among other areas) and their battle for independence.
This book has a melancholy overtone, so I don’t see myself returning to it. It touched on important topics; narratively, it could have stood to be a tad shorter. But overall glad it was offered as part of the Big Library Read program — I really do hope it gets minds turning.
July 23, 2024
I had high hopes for this book.
It’s a national library read.
It simply didn’t hold my interest.
I was hoping to learn more about this period of history but it seemed more like a romance novel.
Felt like a missed opportunity.
Also an unnecessarily detailed, sexualized, and long description of a teen human trafficking victim’s body. Was odd and not needed to know the character was a predator.
Stopped at 25%
I Would be open to suggestions for better treatment of the time period. Historical fiction or nonfiction.
It’s a national library read.
It simply didn’t hold my interest.
I was hoping to learn more about this period of history but it seemed more like a romance novel.
Felt like a missed opportunity.
Also an unnecessarily detailed, sexualized, and long description of a teen human trafficking victim’s body. Was odd and not needed to know the character was a predator.
Stopped at 25%
I Would be open to suggestions for better treatment of the time period. Historical fiction or nonfiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2024
Twilight Territory came out of nowhere for me, and it absolutely blew me away. Taking place in Vietnam after World War II (but before the Vietnam War), this tale is eye opening and shockingly violent.
Pham doesn't pull any punches with the atrocities of war, committed by any side. I knew, but didn't understand, the depths of what really happened within the Pacific Theater during and immediately after WWII.
Five dangerously brilliant stars.
Pham doesn't pull any punches with the atrocities of war, committed by any side. I knew, but didn't understand, the depths of what really happened within the Pacific Theater during and immediately after WWII.
Five dangerously brilliant stars.
July 16, 2024
So this book was a bit like watching a movie through frosted glass at fast forward. The characters are remote feeling… I had the hardest time trying to know them or care for them.
I will say the action scenes I felt were fast and engaging… but anything else was almost like a listing of places events actions etc. there were no descriptions to make the environment tangible and the dialogue was stilted and choppy between the characters… like they were reading lines in a play or something.
There were also some very descriptive things that were a bit off putting … for example there is a ‘love story’ but no intimacy is expounded upon (which is fine) between the ‘main’ couple … and that’s ok it’s just by contrast there is a very graphically described sex scene between a pedophile and described underaged girl … which was not necessary to the story … we could get he was a gross bad man without that.
A lot of interesting history is covered (I’ve read other books based on this time period snd place) but it’s fine in a removed impersonal tone … listing dates and events as almost as if it’s an afterthought.
I really wanted to like this book… I really really tried to get to know and care about the main characters and the things they were going through… it’s just the way it was written I could not.
It was not a terrible book… it was more of an ‘meh’ read. I rounded this up to 3 stars because I did find some of the pages engaging at times… I just found the love story practically non existent. I felt no attachment or affection or investment in the main characters or their supposed ‘love’.
The history covered was interesting but not compellingly written.
I think I prefer my historical fiction more descriptively written… so maybe this writer just isn’t for me
I will say the action scenes I felt were fast and engaging… but anything else was almost like a listing of places events actions etc. there were no descriptions to make the environment tangible and the dialogue was stilted and choppy between the characters… like they were reading lines in a play or something.
There were also some very descriptive things that were a bit off putting … for example there is a ‘love story’ but no intimacy is expounded upon (which is fine) between the ‘main’ couple … and that’s ok it’s just by contrast there is a very graphically described sex scene between a pedophile and described underaged girl … which was not necessary to the story … we could get he was a gross bad man without that.
A lot of interesting history is covered (I’ve read other books based on this time period snd place) but it’s fine in a removed impersonal tone … listing dates and events as almost as if it’s an afterthought.
I really wanted to like this book… I really really tried to get to know and care about the main characters and the things they were going through… it’s just the way it was written I could not.
It was not a terrible book… it was more of an ‘meh’ read. I rounded this up to 3 stars because I did find some of the pages engaging at times… I just found the love story practically non existent. I felt no attachment or affection or investment in the main characters or their supposed ‘love’.
The history covered was interesting but not compellingly written.
I think I prefer my historical fiction more descriptively written… so maybe this writer just isn’t for me
July 19, 2024
This fictional story based on true memories from the author’s grandmother gave me a glimpse of a history I knew nothing about.! Post WW2 war in Vietnam told through the complicated lives of its people and the war that they had to (figuratively & literally) fight was not a happy one. Every page compelled me to turn the next page only to find out yet another character had been injured, kidnapped raped, beaten or killed.
Written extensively with ,what I thought, the intention of ‘shocking’ its readers, I have a new respect for the Nation that truly could not be helped, only harmed, by France and (the secrecy of) Japan that also involved in being the enemy/victor(?).
I loved it. I hated it. I cried. I hoped. I learned.
Written extensively with ,what I thought, the intention of ‘shocking’ its readers, I have a new respect for the Nation that truly could not be helped, only harmed, by France and (the secrecy of) Japan that also involved in being the enemy/victor(?).
I loved it. I hated it. I cried. I hoped. I learned.
June 3, 2024
2.75
03/12/24
The writing was... stiff. I did not think the author was much of a story teller. His word choices were weird.
03/27/24
Ok, I picked this back up and was able to finish it. I think I got invested by page 130-160. While I was not in love with the writing, I was interested in the history of Vietnam during end of WWII. Learning about how many nations tried to colonize the country. I also was not that invested into the main characters. They were fine. The main couple miraculously do not die at the end. The husband makes it back home to Japan and the woman decides to stay in Vietnam.
03/12/24
The writing was... stiff. I did not think the author was much of a story teller. His word choices were weird.
03/27/24
Ok, I picked this back up and was able to finish it. I think I got invested by page 130-160. While I was not in love with the writing, I was interested in the history of Vietnam during end of WWII. Learning about how many nations tried to colonize the country. I also was not that invested into the main characters. They were fine. The main couple miraculously do not die at the end. The husband makes it back home to Japan and the woman decides to stay in Vietnam.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2024
The writing was choppy with weird adjective choices. Did not flow well at all, in fact a lot of times it didn’t make any sense. I was super interested in the history of the book but the characters themselves were hard to connect with. Not a great read. I had a hard time staying interested and a hard time actually finishing the book.
March 4, 2024
I picked up ‘Twilight Territory’ on a whim while browsing the ‘New’ section at the library. I love historical fiction and my knowledge about what was going on during and post WW2 in Vietnam is very limited, so I thought it would be an interesting read. On that count I was right. I found this book to be very educational and I came away from it with more of an understanding of this small snippet of Vietnam’s history. Pham is an excellent writer. His prose was very easily consumable. I will say that there were some passages that were a large info dump of facts and historical context, but with the breadth of the story and complexities of the country of Vietnam at the time, perhaps that’s unavoidable to a certain extent.
The main issue I had with the book takes place right near the beginning. There is a scene in which a French military officer rapes a 16 year old girl which is described in a way which further sexualizes this child and really gave me a bad impression from the start. Lines like “her frame as lithe as a dancer’s, her bearing as untutored as a child’s” or “the elegant compactness of her girlish body”. There are even more examples that I could give, which for a scene that takes place within maybe 3 or 4 pages is quite alarming. If this was something written in the 1st person I could maybe give more leeway. In that case, you could make the argument that these are the officers thoughts about the child. Writing this in the 3rd person just made me feel like the author either consciously or unconsciously wanted this exchange between a 16 year old Vietnamese girl and around 40(?) year old French officer to be titillating on some level. There is a lot of evidence throughout the rest of the book that Pham does care about the women in his life, women’s perspectives, and the plights of women, which led me to be even more disappointed in this scene.
I really did appreciate the level of depth that the women characters received in ‘Twilight Territory’. The reader experiences so many seasons of Tuyet’s life and while Takeshi’s perspective was explored, I felt that Tuyet and Coi’s lives as women were the true focus of this book. I was honestly surprised about the lack of judgement that women seemed to receive in terms of their marital status among other things. I am not saying there was no sexism in this book, the fact that I am really talking about the lack of judgement from peers in the community. So many common people were willing to help a raped woman or a woman with no husband with no real discussion about prejudice or stigmas against those women, which is not the case in so many other places. Of course, I don’t know how accurate this book is to how real life was at the time, but it makes me want to learn more about Vietnam’s views on these issues both historically and currently.
In my mind, the best books are books that make you think, learn a little something, as well as ignite an interest to want to learn more and ‘Twilight Territory’ checked all those boxes for me.
The main issue I had with the book takes place right near the beginning. There is a scene in which a French military officer rapes a 16 year old girl which is described in a way which further sexualizes this child and really gave me a bad impression from the start. Lines like “her frame as lithe as a dancer’s, her bearing as untutored as a child’s” or “the elegant compactness of her girlish body”. There are even more examples that I could give, which for a scene that takes place within maybe 3 or 4 pages is quite alarming. If this was something written in the 1st person I could maybe give more leeway. In that case, you could make the argument that these are the officers thoughts about the child. Writing this in the 3rd person just made me feel like the author either consciously or unconsciously wanted this exchange between a 16 year old Vietnamese girl and around 40(?) year old French officer to be titillating on some level. There is a lot of evidence throughout the rest of the book that Pham does care about the women in his life, women’s perspectives, and the plights of women, which led me to be even more disappointed in this scene.
I really did appreciate the level of depth that the women characters received in ‘Twilight Territory’. The reader experiences so many seasons of Tuyet’s life and while Takeshi’s perspective was explored, I felt that Tuyet and Coi’s lives as women were the true focus of this book. I was honestly surprised about the lack of judgement that women seemed to receive in terms of their marital status among other things. I am not saying there was no sexism in this book, the fact that I am really talking about the lack of judgement from peers in the community. So many common people were willing to help a raped woman or a woman with no husband with no real discussion about prejudice or stigmas against those women, which is not the case in so many other places. Of course, I don’t know how accurate this book is to how real life was at the time, but it makes me want to learn more about Vietnam’s views on these issues both historically and currently.
In my mind, the best books are books that make you think, learn a little something, as well as ignite an interest to want to learn more and ‘Twilight Territory’ checked all those boxes for me.
July 13, 2024
A fantastic, historical fiction epic story, set at time/place I didn’t know about: alternately French-, Japanese- and British-controlled Vietnam.
Awesome microcosm story of a woman trying to survive against the macro story of Vietnam in multiple colonial occupations. Recommend!
Awesome microcosm story of a woman trying to survive against the macro story of Vietnam in multiple colonial occupations. Recommend!
April 11, 2024
Twighlight Territory is a beautiful story encompassing the most complicated parts of the human experience. Andrew X. Pham takes his readers on a journey spanning over a decade. We see how life's ebbs change the characters and how the choices of the characters affect the flow. Pham makes the devastation of both war and love palpable. One of the best works of Asian American literature I have ever read.
July 29, 2024
I enjoyed the first part of the book, and found it to be quite interesting. However, my interest waned in the second half. The second half is quite sad. I can handle sad books, but the connections created in the first part were not strong enough for me to maintain the relationship in the second half. I do appreciate having a different look at the Vietnam and what lead up to the military occupation.
How did this book find me? It was the selection for the Topeka and Shawnee County Big Read.
How did this book find me? It was the selection for the Topeka and Shawnee County Big Read.
July 30, 2024
Part of library big reads I gave it a go and glad I did a insitful look in to Vietnam occupation and war from the story's of women involved .
I enjoyed it it's dark and moving
I enjoyed it it's dark and moving
July 24, 2024
Would be nice if Big Library Read would add a note that this is an R rated book.
Actually would be nice if they chose non r-rated books since they are pushing this on all library users.
Actually would be nice if they chose non r-rated books since they are pushing this on all library users.
July 19, 2024
This “Big Library Read” title, intended to connect book club readers throughout the world, was a disappointment to me. I typically enjoy historical fiction, and this novel, described as “at once a war story and a love story that offers a fascinating perspective on Vietnam’s struggles to break free of its French Colonial past”, inspired by some events in the life of the author’s maternal grandmother intrigued me.
I put it down after Chapter 5. Sexual abuse, torture, and some pretty nasty characters had already been introduced and I just didn’t want to read any more.
I put it down after Chapter 5. Sexual abuse, torture, and some pretty nasty characters had already been introduced and I just didn’t want to read any more.
May 30, 2024
It is more than safe to say that there is absolutely no shortage of Second World War historical fiction out there, certainly not of that centered around Nazi Germany and Europe, with the rest of the titular “world” serving as just insignificant background noise. Twilight Territory breaks away from this tired-out subject and tells a fresh story (and history) of Vietnam during that time, while facing French colonial rule (after a power struggle between the French and British) and a Japanese invasion. I learned so much history from this beautiful novel that tells the story of a Vietnamese woman and a Japanese major who fall in love and face life during a bloody war and genocide, suffering blow after blow together and apart, and all the while never losing love or respect for each other. There is so much humanity in a tale like this. This book will stay with me for a long time, perhaps forever.
July 28, 2024
I liked it a fair amount. Ran through periods of Veitnam history that I've never really understood. The story was a bit difficult to follow as the characters went through their own deals. The fighting scenes (i.e. war scenes, chase scenes) were very tense and I enjoyed them.
July 19, 2024
The novel is eye-opening from a historical and cultural perspective, and worth reading just to learn more about the Viet people and an extremely challenging period in time. The writing, however sympathetic, unfortunately is a bit wooden, although not completely without some descriptive highlights. The story definitely pulls on the emotional heartstrings.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 19, 2024I was seduced by cover love. It's a gorgeous cover and I just had to read it. Besides it was free on Libby with the Big Library Read so what was there to lose? - time. It felt stilted and didn't grab my attention.
July 21, 2024
I read, actually listened to the audiobook, because i have always had an interest in Viet Nam. The book was well read and parts were beautiful. Other parts seemed somewhat choppy and hard to follow, perhaps in part due to my dearth of knowledge of the history of the country. The main characters were underdeveloped and forgettable. While the sexual violence might have been accurately represented, it seemed unnecessarily graphic.
July 13, 2024
Came for the romance plot between Takashi and Tuyet. Left feeling really confused as to where that plot went?
June 23, 2024
This is a terrific book. Gives great insight into the everyday lives of Vietnamese during the French attempt to recolonize.
July 23, 2024
Twilight Territory is selected as the choice for the Big Library Read of 2024. Set in 1940s Vietnam, it is a story of three loves: the love between a man and woman, the love between parent and child, and the love between a citizen and country. Tuyet catches the eye of a Japanese soldier, Takeshi. She is uneasy about the attraction, as she's a single divorced mother, already a scandal in her village; but mutual attraction does blossom between them. It seems all is happy, as the pair marry and grew wealthy, partially due to Takeshi sweeping gold away from a French colonizer. However, the family's fortunes take a turn when WWII ends and the imprisoned Frenchmen are released back. A new war births from the battle between colonizers and the Resistance. The family will face the greatest threat to their happiness, one that will leave all of them many scars.
For a lengthy novel, it is very informative on setting the backdrop of the factors that eventually lead to the Vietnam War. The leads Takeshi and Tuyet are very developed and humanized in the story that their actions, when things get drastic, are fully understandable. In Tuyet's case, she shown herself as a strong female character, in a uniquely subtle way that flows well with feminity in Asia. Takeshi also shows he is the trusted man, with a sensitive side as well. There are many other characters that also moments in the spotlight, but it occurs very often that you can feel lost in the story as well! The tone is written in a flowery language, especially in describing the sceneries in Vietnam, that it feels like you're there. In some cases, it feels like Twilight Territory is a tribute to the country itself, revealing its complicated and bloody past and the history left to its people. I do find this book to be well developed and pace to make a great love story set in the backdrop of war and corruption.
For a lengthy novel, it is very informative on setting the backdrop of the factors that eventually lead to the Vietnam War. The leads Takeshi and Tuyet are very developed and humanized in the story that their actions, when things get drastic, are fully understandable. In Tuyet's case, she shown herself as a strong female character, in a uniquely subtle way that flows well with feminity in Asia. Takeshi also shows he is the trusted man, with a sensitive side as well. There are many other characters that also moments in the spotlight, but it occurs very often that you can feel lost in the story as well! The tone is written in a flowery language, especially in describing the sceneries in Vietnam, that it feels like you're there. In some cases, it feels like Twilight Territory is a tribute to the country itself, revealing its complicated and bloody past and the history left to its people. I do find this book to be well developed and pace to make a great love story set in the backdrop of war and corruption.
August 3, 2024
Twilight Territory was the libraries pick for July, offering it without a wait time…Interesting.
I have read several historical fiction stories set in Asian Pacific states. Each have addressed the horrors of war and humans ability for both great evil and resilience, which is expected and am happy to recommend other books.
What is not expected is an author who puts more effort in describing a teenage girl’s naked body and repeated images of beating and killing animals than in the storyline and characters themselves. The main characters fall flat; they are described going through their lives, but little to no interaction with their thoughts, feelings, growth, and/or deterioration. This is even further problematic in that the plot driven book does not give an in depth look at the Vietnamese history. The author implored graphic images to evoke the reader’s emotions and leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, these scenes did not aid the plot or character development making them seem in poor taste and even grotesque; leaving the audience in a place of distress.
Problematic / Triggers
1. Sexualizing teenage girls
2. Detailed description of pedophilia / Rape
3. Repeated Animal Cruelty and death
I have read several historical fiction stories set in Asian Pacific states. Each have addressed the horrors of war and humans ability for both great evil and resilience, which is expected and am happy to recommend other books.
What is not expected is an author who puts more effort in describing a teenage girl’s naked body and repeated images of beating and killing animals than in the storyline and characters themselves. The main characters fall flat; they are described going through their lives, but little to no interaction with their thoughts, feelings, growth, and/or deterioration. This is even further problematic in that the plot driven book does not give an in depth look at the Vietnamese history. The author implored graphic images to evoke the reader’s emotions and leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, these scenes did not aid the plot or character development making them seem in poor taste and even grotesque; leaving the audience in a place of distress.
Problematic / Triggers
1. Sexualizing teenage girls
2. Detailed description of pedophilia / Rape
3. Repeated Animal Cruelty and death
July 30, 2024
2 stars, but only for the potential. DNF at 27%. I picked this audiobook up because it was the "library read-along" book pick in the Libby app. I was intrigued as it was Asian fiction, which I tend to really like, and normally the book club selections are great. I think the author was trying to write a sweeping, epic story along the lines of "Beasts of a Little Land" or "Pachinko" but the execution was just not there. It was very clear that it was the direction the book was trying to go, but the author spent very little time actually developing the characters and their stories and building their relationships, and instead spent massive amounts of time describing surroundings and other things that just were not necessary to focus on. I was actually very surprised to learn that this book was not a debut by a first-time author, as it reads like a first attempt. I cannot help but feel that if the author had a better editor who was able to help flush out the characters and dialogue more, and fill in the plotline gaps that were just glossed over between long, flowery diatribes describing what something looks like, this book would have been much improved, as the concept has lots of potential. As is, I could not continue past a few hours in the audiobook.
July 23, 2024
I picked up this book because it was the Big Library Read title, little did I know how much of a fucking bummer this book would end up being.
I was expecting much more fiction in my historical fiction novel, it read like a textbook at certain parts. This left me thinking either the author did a lot of research and wants to show off how accurate he is at depicting 1940’s Vietnam, or he didn’t get a good editor. The summary for the book says this is a tale of “love, war, and resistance”, but honestly it should have been called a tale of war, since there was very little ‘resistance’ as all of the scenes were Tuyet watching her husband or cousin leave on a mission, and there was also little to no romance in the book. It starts promising with MFC Tuyet and MMC Takeshi slowly courting for a couple chapters, then the author slams a year in two pages and now they are married and have a son. I would have much rather read about them falling in love and getting married than one of the dozen revenge plots or one of the two torture sessions in the book.
The author spends so much time trying to show us 1940s Vietnam that he fails developing the characters. Tuyet begins as a selfless and kind woman who has a strong sense of justice and has been through hardships but perseveres. Tuyet end the book the same, but with much more trauma. Takeshi maintains a “I love my wife” energy, but often fails his wife because he’s on his revenge and honor shit again.
I liked the author showing how the common folk live under multiple occupations and how neither the resistance nor the colonizers can be relied on to protect them. What I didn’t like was the rape scene, torture scenes, child sexual assault scene, the 400 pages of what felt like a history text book, or the fucking bummer ending that I sat through hours to get to. Honestly, the whole book feels like trauma porn.
I was expecting much more fiction in my historical fiction novel, it read like a textbook at certain parts. This left me thinking either the author did a lot of research and wants to show off how accurate he is at depicting 1940’s Vietnam, or he didn’t get a good editor. The summary for the book says this is a tale of “love, war, and resistance”, but honestly it should have been called a tale of war, since there was very little ‘resistance’ as all of the scenes were Tuyet watching her husband or cousin leave on a mission, and there was also little to no romance in the book. It starts promising with MFC Tuyet and MMC Takeshi slowly courting for a couple chapters, then the author slams a year in two pages and now they are married and have a son. I would have much rather read about them falling in love and getting married than one of the dozen revenge plots or one of the two torture sessions in the book.
The author spends so much time trying to show us 1940s Vietnam that he fails developing the characters. Tuyet begins as a selfless and kind woman who has a strong sense of justice and has been through hardships but perseveres. Tuyet end the book the same, but with much more trauma. Takeshi maintains a “I love my wife” energy, but often fails his wife because he’s on his revenge and honor shit again.
I liked the author showing how the common folk live under multiple occupations and how neither the resistance nor the colonizers can be relied on to protect them. What I didn’t like was the rape scene, torture scenes, child sexual assault scene, the 400 pages of what felt like a history text book, or the fucking bummer ending that I sat through hours to get to. Honestly, the whole book feels like trauma porn.
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