Source of Love

Literature is a unique path. Each individual possesses the power to sketch their own expansive worlds. Within these worlds, there is a vivid vision of the future, a complete immersion in the present moment, and a profound reminiscence of past stories. And then, each page becomes a mirror capable of reflecting into the deepest layers of the soul. The collection of essays "Land of Love" is a collection of quiet moments, deeply imprinted with the author Tran Thi Thuy Linh's return to distant horizons.

Every writer possesses their own unique realm of reality, a space where they find ways to explore layers of reality and express a wealth of emotions with a distinctly personal touch. Author Tran Thi Thuy Linh is no exception. Born in 1976, she currently lives and writes in Soc Trang. With a sincere approach to writing, her every word strives to capture the essence of the Southwestern Vietnamese countryside. To date, she has published numerous poems and essays in various books. Her collection of essays, simply titled "Land of Love," published by Kim Dong Publishing House, perfectly encapsulates this creative spirit.

Reading the essays in "Land of Love," each reader will gradually feel the artistic space the author evokes. The vastness of the homeland's landscape creates waves, touching and caressing the heart. The author's writing style is refined yet full of emotion, naming and then honestly revealing their own stories on the page. The tone is calm, intimate, and confides in the reader the author's anxieties about what has passed in life.

The world of the book is therefore a connection of many simple images, the colors of childhood paintings, and the movements of rustic rural life. All of these resonate to highlight the author's heartfelt message throughout the book: "...And I, too, have often been a stranger far from home, when I see images of my homeland, the peaceful memories with my mother, with my childhood friends, constantly coming back to me. I always have a homeland to love."

Essays have always had a unique advantage in evoking special emotions in readers. Each essay in this book naturally allows the reader to visualize the author's own memories. There, readers will have moments of reflection on the lives of itinerant merchants, the fates of those who transformed rivers and places like Ngã Năm and Ngã Bảy into "floating markets on the river."

The humble roadside stalls symbolize the simple buying and selling, encapsulating the many hardships of life in the Mekong Delta. The echoing calls of wagtails fill the village, evoking childhood memories that, though distant, still resonate, prompting profound thoughts about peaceful times and essential values. Then there are the paper boats of childhood, forever etched in memory, yet the subconscious stirs these images…

All of this created a shower of memories, a shower that revived the green of the years spent playing war games on the reed-covered paths. Through the pages of the book, the author expresses the spirit of preserving the past, keeping it alive and serving as a source, a sky that holds the beauty of the soul: "Every new day that passes, I sow more seeds of dreams. I sow seeds of love on my homeland. And I believe that the green shoots of the future will sprout from there." Therefore, the book creates special connections, allowing readers to find profound resonance as they immerse themselves in the fragments of memory that the author presents.

Reading the collection of essays "Land of Love," readers can also sense the author's feelings about time and the times, about the irreversible flow of time. Each essay, although depicting different moments, ultimately clarifies the subject's own anxieties and regrets about time: "Time flows on like a still river, its banks constantly eroding and building up. Human life also changes many times with time."

Following that flow, the author expresses regret over the changes of the times, the negative aspects of development that have caused many old values ​​of the homeland and villages to fade away. Behind each story in the essay lies a long period of reflection and contemplation. This allows the reader to engage in a dialogue with the author, to discover the deep roots, and then to awaken within themselves noble thoughts. “Cars sped across the new bridges spanning the rivers and canals. The ferry crossings became increasingly deserted, and soon no one was seen rowing anymore.”

These heartfelt expressions are like faithful diary entries from the heart. Readers recognize, deep within these reflections, the affection of a person from the countryside for their homeland and family. Present in each page are the images of people from the past, those who gave birth to the subject and provided the most beautiful memories of their life.

The mother, with her heartfelt emotions, always radiates warmth like the sun. The father, a quiet wanderer of yesteryear, is a traveling merchant. The beloved maternal homeland is intertwined with the gentle rhythm of small boats paddling across the water. The author's feelings are thus expressed authentically, yet deeply moving. The story in the book is therefore broadened in scope, becoming the shared voice of many, of those who cherish a simple yet deeply nostalgic rural homeland.

The simple things distilled from author Tran Thi Thuy Linh's nostalgic memories in "Land of Love" have reached readers with sincerity. The author's childhood memories, vividly portrayed in 27 essays, soothe the reader's soul, allowing each person to pause amidst the hurried flow of life, thus appreciating the present more deeply. Once again, the book profoundly affirms the value of memory, that in any circumstance, memory is always the source of love and true values ​​in life.

TRAN NGOC

Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202503/mach-nguon-yeu-thuong-4002883/