Beautiful love story in war

The book recounts the more than 40-year love story of Major General Hoang Dan – one of the outstanding generals of the Vietnam People's Army – and Ms. An Vinh – a female representative in the early National Assembly , as told by the author Hoang Nam Tien, their youngest son.

The book "Letters to My Dear" begins with author Hoang Nam Tien's account of the death of General Hoang Dan in 2003. The author's mother, Mrs. An Vinh, requested that Hoang Nam Tien arrange for the letters and diaries of the two of them to accompany General Hoang Dan to the afterlife .

The cover of the book 'Letters to You' by author Hoang Nam Tien. (Source: Nha Nam)

Hoang Nam Tien "dared to disobey his mother" and kept his parents' letters for 50 years, from 1953, when they first met, to later years. Over the years, each time he read the letters, he understood his parents' feelings, along with the memories of them...

A train journey of love in the "grandparents' era"

The letter takes the reader on a journey back in time to the war-torn years of the 20th century, when the entire country was going through the resistance wars against France and the United States.

Because of the war, the couple had very little time together. While the general fought on fierce battlefields, his wife stayed at home, taking care of the family, raising the children, and striving for her career.

With all their longing, resentment, and waiting, the couple could only express their feelings through more than 400 letters to each other, spanning numerous historical milestones of the nation: the Dien Bien Phu victory in 1954, the Route 9 - Khe Sanh Campaign in 1968, Quang Tri in 1972, Saigon in 1975, the battle to defend the northern border in 1979, 1884...

Those letters also became the bond that tied their love together. The story of General Hoang Dan and Mrs. An Vinh is therefore not just the story of a young couple, a married couple, but the love of an entire generation, an entire era of the country.

Going back almost a century, the pace of love also slowed down with the long days of separation for young couples, in an era when there were no means of communication other than letters, and infrequent face-to-face meetings… between those times, there was overwhelming longing and affection.

Therefore, the reader has the opportunity to slow down with the author, passing through the days when longing takes root and blossoms, the feelings of the two characters are nurtured through handwritten letters, over the years filled with anticipation and gentle romance.

During the war, facing the greatest challenges of bombs and death, their love became intense, generous, and selfless. To propose to An Vinh, in 1953, Hoang Dan risked leaving his unit before the Upper Laos campaign, cycling all night to his hometown to ask for her hand in marriage before returning to his unit.

He cycled over 1300 km from Dien Bien to Nghe An and then back up to Lang Son to ask for his wife's hand in marriage… When they became husband and wife, he also had a strong belief that he would “survive and return to her” and carried that belief through the fierce resistance war against the US.

From her youth to her adulthood as a wife and mother, An Vinh was both gentle and strong, weathering the years of war and bombing alongside her family.

Their love was also secondary to their love for their country. Throughout his military career, for over 30 years, Hoang Dan was rarely home; he dedicated his youth and his entire life to fighting for peace. He never spent a single Tet (Lunar New Year) at home.

Throughout that time, Mrs. An Vinh suppressed her longing and separation, persevering in her work, studies, and development, raising her children… Like countless others at that time, they sacrificed their personal happiness for the great common cause of national liberation.

It is no coincidence that author Hoang Nam Tien chose a classic quote from Soviet literature as an introduction: "Years will pass, wars will gradually fall silent, revolutions will cease their roar, and what will remain indelibly the gentle, patient, and loving heart of yours."

The author claims that his parents' love story was inspired by revolutionary romance.

Love together, live together, grow together.

The short stories in *Letters to My Lover* offer readers many reflections and thoughts about love and married life between couples of any generation.

Hoang Dan came from a prestigious family, received a full education, and joined the revolution at an early age. Not only did he diligently study and research Eastern and Western military art, but he was also passionate about literature, art, philosophy, and psychology.

Ms. An Vinh came from a humble background as a domestic servant girl with a strong desire to change her destiny. In 1954, when Mr. Hoang Dan cycled all the way to Lang Son to propose marriage, she resolutely refused, wanting to focus on her work.

After getting married, she was deeply aware of the need to "learn as well as her husband" in order to have the same level of awareness and education as her spouse. So, in addition to raising children and working, she completed secondary and high school, then pursued higher education, becoming an outstanding trade representative and a member of the National Assembly.

According to the author, Ms. An Vinh's pursuit of "being as good as her husband" holds great significance for modern young people. Without shared awareness, vision, life perspectives, and experiences, it's impossible to understand and empathize with each other.

And most importantly, throughout her educational journey, Ms. An Vinh always had her husband's support. In married life, there are bound to be moments of jealousy and resentment.

Throughout their 50-year love story, the author, through small details, recounts how General Hoang Dan doted on his wife, encouraging and caring for her; how Mrs. An Vinh tolerated her husband's very masculine traits… readers will feel that they were not only husband and wife, parents, but also comrades and life partners, who, for love, for family, and for understanding and appreciating each other's good qualities, spent their lives nurturing and striving to live together.

Author Hoang Nam Tien. (Source: Nha Nam)

Author Hoang Nam Tien: "I hope readers, especially young people, believe that love is real."

Hoang Nam Tien is already known to the public for his various roles at FPT Group, as well as for his impressive sharing of business, technology, and education stories with the community. However, this is the first time he has appeared as an author.

The author stated that while reading the letters, he himself discovered many lessons from his parents' love. These included listening, understanding, companionship, and sharing; love is a support system that helps us grow and overcome difficulties.

He shared: "Because it's true love, it can endure through time and challenges. It can exist in different forms, but it's still love. If only I had read my parents' letters sooner, I might have avoided many mistakes and pain in my life."

I write to leave a memory for myself, for my family, and for myself personally; I write to better understand love. I hope readers, especially young people, will believe that love truly exists."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-cho-em-chuyen-tinh-dep-trong-chien-tranh-267369.html