Anam

Anam by André Dao is a novel that explores the themes of forgiveness, forgetting, colonialism, and belonging through the experiences of the author's Vietnamese grandparents. It moves from 1930s Hanoi to Saigon, Paris, Melbourne, and Cambridge, and is haunted by the story of the narrator's grandfather's imprisonment by the Communist government in Vietnam. The narrator questions whether there is a way to remember the past without forgetting it and creates a future for his family.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

A profound exploration of forgiveness and forgetting, Andre Dao's remarkable debut novel seamlessly blends fiction and history to recount the traumatic life of his Vietnamese grandparents. Spanning from the 1930s in Hanoi to wars, displacements, and various cities such as Saigon, Paris, Melbourne, and Cambridge, this deeply moving novel delves into themes of memory, inheritance, colonialism, belonging, exile, and homecoming.

Born to a Vietnamese family in Melbourne, the narrator is deeply haunted by the story of his grandfather, who endured a ten-year imprisonment at Vietnams notorious Chi Hoa prison. This imprisonment casts a significant shadow over the narrator's own place in the world and shapes his decision to pursue a career in human rights law. As he navigates between his Australian upbringing and his Vietnamese heritage, the death of his grandfather in a Parisian suburb and the birth of his daughter serve as pivotal moments that crystallize the thoughts that have shaped his life.

Anam by Andre Dao employs a unique blend of fiction and essay, theory, and everyday life to envision what has been repressed, left out, and forgotten by archives and families. As the grandson sifts through letters, photographs, government documents, and memories, he must also consider the impact of his findings on his own family, consisting of a partner and an infant daughter. Dao's novel raises thought-provoking questions about the possibility of remembering the past in a way that creates a future for both the individual and their family. It explores the complexities of homecoming, where the act of returning often involves a certain amount of forgetting. Through his meticulous exploration of the past, the narrator seeks to find a balance between honoring his ancestors and building a meaningful life for himself and his loved ones.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 240 x 161 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529094695