We are reading around the world this year, and our current stop is Vietnam!

When readers discuss Asian literature, Japanese and South Korean translated works often take center stage. However, Southeast Asia is home to many rich literary traditions and world-class authors. If you are looking to discover the best books from Vietnam, this list offers essential recommendations across fiction, history, espionage, and graphic novels.

Quick Overview: Top Books from Vietnam

• Classic War Novel: The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh (1990)
• Contemporary Family Saga: The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (2022)
• Ancient Historical Fiction: Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen (2022)
• Pulitzer Prize Winner: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (2015)
• Queer YA Graphic Novel: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (2020)

Why We Started a Read Around the World Book Challenge

Before diving into top Vietnamese literature, here is why reading globally is essential for modern book lovers:

1. Escaping the Anglo-Centric Literary Bubble: Mainstream platforms like BookTok and BookStagram disproportionately promote books from English-speaking nations (US, UK, Australia and Canada). A global reading challenge highlights translated works and international voices.
2. Understanding Global History and Culture: Literature set in foreign countries offers deep insights into local history, political shifts, and cultural nuances that traditional travel guides often miss.
3. Diversifying Reading Habits: Exploring books country by country provides a structured, low-pressure goal that makes discovering new literary genres engaging and continuous.

5 Essential Books from Vietnam You Should Read

1. The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh

• Author: Bao Ninh (translated by Phan Thanh Hao)
• Publication Year: 1990
• Genre: War Fiction / Modern Literary Classic
• Ideal For: Readers interested in historical fiction, military history, and post-war psychological novels

The Sorrow of War (originally titled The Fate of Love) is an autobiographical novel based on Bao Ninh’s experiences serving in the North Vietnamese 27th Youth Brigade during the Vietnam War. Banned by the Vietnamese Communist Party upon initial release due to its non-heroic depiction of conflict, it follows Kien, a soldier searching the “Jungle of Screaming Souls” for fallen comrades. As one of only ten survivors from his 500-man battalion, Kien uses writing to process eleven years of trauma. It remains one of the most poignant anti-war novels written from a North Vietnamese veteran’s perspective.

2. The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh

• Author: Carolyn Huynh
• Publication Year: 2022
• Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Magical Realism
• Ideal For: Fans of family sagas, multi-generational stories, and books like Crazy Rich Asians

This debut novel by Vietnamese-American author Carolyn Huynh explores family dynamics, superstitious heritage, and the Vietnamese diaspora. Centered on the estranged women of the Duong family—who are allegedly cursed to never find love or bear daughters—the narrative shifts when a psychic predicts that a wedding, a funeral, and the birth of a baby boy will alter their lives within a single year. It is a witty, heartwarming look at mother-daughter relationships and cultural expectations.

3. Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen

• Author: Phong Nguyen
• Publication Year: 2022
• Genre: Ancient Historical Fiction / Retelling
• Ideal For: Readers who love feminist historical adventure, ancient history, and mythic retellings

Set in 40 CE in ancient Vietnam (Lạc Việt), Bronze Drum brings to life the historical rebellion of the Trưng Sisters (Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị). When the oppressive Han Dynasty executes Trưng Trắc’s husband, the two sisters gather an army—largely composed of women—to overthrow the Chinese governors and establish an independent kingdom. Phong Nguyen weaves historical facts with vivid fiction to depict a pivotal moment in Vietnamese national identity.

4. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

• Author: Viet Thanh Nguyen
• Publication Year: 2015
• Genre: Espionage Fiction / Political Satire / Literary Fiction
• Ideal For: Readers seeking award-winning literary fiction, spy thrillers, and post-colonial studies

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Sympathizer is a multi-layered espionage novel and cultural critique. The story follows an unnamed protagonist—a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arrives in Los Angeles as a refugee following the 1975 Fall of Saigon. While building a life among the Vietnamese refugee community in Southern California, he continues to work secretly as a communist mole reporting back to Hanoi. Viet Thanh Nguyen delivers a sharp exploration of dual identity, cold war politics, and American imperialism.

5. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

• Author: Trung Le Nguyen
• Publication Year: 2020
• Genre: Young Adult / LGBTQ+ Graphic Novel
• Ideal For: Fans of visual storytelling, queer coming-of-age stories, and fairytale adaptations

The Magic Fish is an acclaimed graphic novel that explores the immigrant experience, language barriers, and queer identity. Tiến, a young Vietnamese-American boy, struggles to come out as gay to his parents because there is no direct equivalent word in the Vietnamese language that his parents understand. By reading classic fairytales together at the library, Tiến and his mother bridge their generational and linguistic gap to communicate deep emotional truths.

Join the Conversation!

Have you read any of these books from Vietnam, or do you have other recommendations by Vietnamese authors we should check out? Let us know at @bookinfluencerscom!