Shoulder Wind Season

“The Season of Wind Across the Shoulders” (Vietnamese Women's Publishing House) - a collection of short stories by young writer Le Ngoc - is 12 vivid pieces in the colorful picture of life.

There, readers can encounter lives and people from urban to rural areas, people emerging from war, young people struggling to make a living in the city, people struggling in loose family relationships, in unfulfilled love...

Cover of short story collection

Using the short story “The Wind Across the Shoulders” as the title of the book, Le Ngoc told a warm story about the days when his children and grandchildren were still together with their beloved grandmother. She was like a thread connecting family members to make the relationship even stronger, so that no matter who went far away, they would always look forward to the day they would return to their hometown, to the old house, where she sat by the fire, carefully cooking delicious dishes for her children and grandchildren. She was the only one who remembered the preferences of everyone in the family, understood the personalities of each member. Then time passed, that invisible thread broke when she passed away. Each of her children and grandchildren went their separate ways, no one was excited about the reunions, the trips back to their hometown. Because in the old house, the old garden, the green duckweed pond, there was no longer the beloved grandmother waiting at the door. Losing her was also losing the peaceful anchorage in the homeland.

The short stories in the collection “The Wind Across Your Shoulders” still retain the clear, simple tone and the strong flavor of the Northern countryside in Le Ngoc’s previous works. In the short story “Startled and Thrilled”, it is the startling, sobbing feeling of young people leaving their hometowns to settle in the city. They leave the vast fields, the misty green mountains, the green slopes of land with trees and grass to confine themselves in the concrete walls of cramped rented rooms in the city. One would think that in the midst of the bustling city, in the midst of the vast, cold sea of people, there would be a lack of true love. However, in times of trouble, in the midst of the raging epidemic, one realizes that human love in the city is still warm and full. Whether in the countryside or the city, there are always warm hearts full of love, protection and care.

“The Day of Return” is another perspective on war by young author Le Ngoc. A woman whose lover died in battle. And that pain continued to last, tormenting her for decades, from the day her hair turned green until it turned gray. The pain was not only because of the loss of the promise of their youth, but also because of her husband’s unreasonable jealousy of the deceased. It was that somewhat blind jealousy that made the husband not realize his wife’s love for him, and it was only when he accidentally overheard a conversation between his wife and son that he belatedly realized it. And one day in July, they made a pilgrimage together to the cemetery where the young soldier rested, and returned the mementos to his family, closing a sad memory.

“The most precious thing in life is memory, especially memories of loved ones” and the story collection “The Season of Wind Across Your Shoulders” brings readers many beautiful memories.

Phuong Hoa (according to hanoimoi.vn)

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