Chef cook of Hy Vong, Tung Nguyen, fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon when she was expecting her daughter Phuong. Saigon is not where she grew up, she grew up and lived until the 70s in a little village near Da Nang.
After being picked up from the little boat she fled in with many others, she is picked up by a ship and lands in the United States, where she lands in the home of Kathy Manning, a graduate student who helps and gives shelter in her home to Vietnamese refugees.
This moment changes the life of Tung, Kathy and Phuong for good, as they form a team that, because of the amazing good cooking of Tung, forms the foundation of them starting the very first Vietnamese restaurant in Miami in the 80's.
I always loved books about Vietnam, so when I read what this book was about, I just couldn't wait and just started reading it right away. And I am glad I did that. Because this is a breathtaking good book..!!! In alternating chapters, Tung and Kathy, and later on also Phuong tell their story from their own point of view, which totally works for this book. They all have their own moving history and future, and altough Kathy and Tung are complete opposites, just for the good understanding: they did not have a romantic relationship with each other, but they have a beautiful family and team bond that works because all three are incredibly strong women. You can only have deep respect for the three of them just by reading how hard they work to make things work. Beside their life story, in between they share the most mouthwatering Vietnamese recipe from the restaurant, I am pretty sure I am going to try one out!! I highly recommend this jewel of a book, don't miss it!!
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