A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain Summary

A Vietnamese refugee haunted by the ghost of his dead lover, Theresa.

Mr. Chinh, the narrator of 'Love', is a Vietnamese man who resettled in Louisiana after the fall of Saigon. He is deeply sentimental and carries the emotional weight of his past. His narrative is primarily an intimate address to the ghost of his former lover, Theresa, who died during the war. He struggles with assimilation into American culture, finding solace in memories and the enduring presence of Theresa's spirit. His life in America, with his wife and children, is juxtaposed with the vivid, often sensual, recollections of his life in Vietnam, highlighting his internal conflict between past and present.

Relationships: Theresa (Deceased lover, a constant presence in his memories); His wife (His current wife in America, with whom he has a family)

The last emperor of Vietnam, living in exile and reflecting on his lost kingdom.

Bao Dai, the subject of 'The Trip Back', is the last emperor of Vietnam, living in quiet exile on the French Riviera. He is a figure of faded grandeur and profound nostalgia, reflecting on a life of political maneuvering, abdication, and ultimately, irrelevance. His narrative is marked by a detached, almost melancholic tone, as he recounts historical events from a personal, yet powerless, perspective. He dreams of returning to Vietnam, not for power, but for a spiritual reconnection to his homeland, embodying the loss of a nation's identity through its former leader.

A young Vietnamese woman seeking her American GI father.

Mai, the narrator of 'Snow', is a young Vietnamese woman who travels to America with her mother to find her biological father, an American GI named Frank. She is intelligent and observant, keenly noting the cultural differences and the newness of America, particularly the snow. Her journey is one of self-discovery and cultural integration, as she grapples with the complexities of her mixed heritage and the emotional impact of meeting a father she never knew. She represents the children of the war, navigating a dual identity.

Relationships: Her Mother (Travels with her to America, her primary caregiver); Frank (Her American GI father, whom she meets for the first time)

A former Vietnamese translator for American forces, haunted by war's trauma.

Mr. Van, the narrator of 'Mr. Green', is a Vietnamese man living in America who served as a translator for American soldiers during the war. He carries the psychological scars of his experiences, particularly the memory of translating for a shell-shocked American soldier. He is a quiet, contemplative man, deeply affected by the moral ambiguities and horrors he witnessed. His role as a linguistic bridge also makes him a cultural bridge, and he grapples with the weight of facilitating communication in a conflict that devastated his homeland. He embodies the lasting trauma of war on those caught in the middle.

Relationships: Mr. Green (An American soldier he translated for, whose trauma deeply affected him)

An elderly Vietnamese woman haunted by the dream of her dead brother.

Mrs. Chau, the narrator of 'Open Arms', is an elderly Vietnamese woman living in America. She is deeply connected to Vietnamese spiritual beliefs, particularly concerning ancestors and the afterlife. She experiences recurring dreams of her younger brother, who died during the war, and believes she has mystical encounters with his spirit. Her narrative is imbued with a sense of gentle melancholy and a strong spiritual connection to her past. She uses these dreams and beliefs as a coping mechanism for her grief, finding comfort and continuity in the face of immense loss and displacement.

Relationships: Her younger brother (Deceased brother, whose spirit she believes she connects with)

A former South Vietnamese official, searching for spiritual connection in America.

Mr. Vinh, the narrator of 'Good Scent from a Strange Mountain', is a former high-ranking official in the South Vietnamese government who escaped to America. He is a man of quiet dignity and a deep spiritual longing. His central quest is to fulfill a promise made to a dying Buddhist monk: to find the 'good scent from a strange mountain,' symbolizing a spiritual home and connection to his heritage. He embodies the intellectual and spiritual displacement of many Vietnamese refugees, seeking meaning and continuity in a foreign land.

Relationships: Buddhist Monk (Dying monk to whom he made a significant promise)

An aging Vietnamese father struggling with his daughter's assimilation.

Mr. Hoa, the narrator of 'A Ghost Story', is an aging Vietnamese man who observes his daughter's rapid assimilation into American culture with a mixture of pride and quiet sorrow. He feels a growing distance between them as she embraces American customs, language, and relationships. He is haunted by the 'ghosts' of his past in Vietnam, representing his unaddressed grief and longing for his homeland. His narrative explores the generational divide within refugee families and the emotional cost of cultural integration.

Relationships: His daughter (His Americanized daughter, whose choices create a cultural divide); Her American boyfriend (His daughter's boyfriend, symbolizing her embrace of American life)

An elderly Vietnamese illusionist reflecting on magic and cultural perception.

The unnamed Illusionist, the narrator of 'The American Couple', is an elderly Vietnamese man, now living in America, who reflects on his life's passion for magic. He speaks with a serene wisdom about the nature of illusion, reality, and the differing ways cultures perceive them. He observes an American couple with a sense of gentle detachment, finding them seemingly devoid of the wonder he associates with his craft. He represents the resilience of traditional arts and the quiet dignity of those who carry their cultural heritage into exile, finding meaning in their unique skills.

Relationships: The American Couple (Strangers he observes, symbolizing a different cultural perspective)

A Vietnamese man finding solace and identity in the French language.

Mr. Khanh, the narrator of 'The Fairy of Vietnam', is a Vietnamese man who finds profound solace and a sense of identity in the meticulous study of the French language. For him, French represents order, elegance, and a connection to a specific, pre-war past. He recalls his admiration for French culture in Vietnam and how the language now serves as a refuge from the chaos of his displacement. His obsession reveals a yearning for intellectual and cultural continuity, a way to rebuild a sense of self in a new world by anchoring himself to a specific, cherished part of his past.

An old man revisiting the jungle battlegrounds of his youth.

The unnamed former Viet Cong soldier, the narrator of 'Salem', is an old man who returns to the Vietnamese jungle where he fought decades ago. He is deeply connected to the land and the spirits of his fallen comrades. His narrative is a haunting recollection of specific battles, the brutality of war, and the enduring presence of the past in the landscape. He represents the lasting impact of war on combatants, their struggle to reconcile with their actions and losses, and the spiritual connection many Vietnamese feel to their land and ancestors.

Relationships: His grandson (Accompanies him, representing the younger generation detached from the war)

An elderly Vietnamese mother searching for her missing son in America.

The unnamed Mother, the narrator of 'Missing', is an elderly Vietnamese woman driven by an unwavering maternal love to search for her son, an ARVN soldier who disappeared during the fall of Saigon. She travels to America, carrying a tattered photograph and a desperate hope, encountering other refugees with their own stories of loss. Her journey highlights the profound and unresolved grief of families separated by war, and the enduring human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss. She embodies the universal theme of a mother's relentless quest for her child.

Relationships: Her son (Her missing son, whom she is desperately searching for)