Where there is mother, there is home

“Wherever there is mother, there is home” is the latest collection by Ha Mer (Literature Publishing House, released in 2025). Ha Mer’s real name is Trinh Ngoc Mai, a young girl with a simple motto in life: “An ordinary person living in an impermanent life and learning how to love”.

The work is like a small diary, written in a simple, close, natural but emotional and captivating tone. In each page, readers can easily encounter familiar images: the cheerful laughter of children who refuse to sleep at noon, the starry sky on a moonlit night in front of the house or the rustic games of a not-so-distant time...

These are also everyday situations in the family, where there is a hard-working mother, a father who, because of alcohol, has many times brought the family to the brink of collapse; where there is a grandmother who is full of love, listens and protects her children and grandchildren with all tolerance.

The gentle but realistic narration makes the reader feel touched, as if experiencing his own story: “In his childhood, his grandmother’s call always echoed, “Dream, come home to cook rice”, “Dream, go buy me some eye drops”, “Dream, wake up, it’s almost noon”, “Dream”… “Yes, I’m here. I heard you, grandma. Why don’t you wait for me a little longer? I’m almost home, I can’t see you for the last time” - (Grandma calls).

The whispers make the reader stop. Because behind the author’s private relationships are reflections of countless Vietnamese families. They make us think, ponder, and then seek out humane perspectives.

Warm messages about humanity are continuously conveyed in articles with familiar titles such as: Poverty is also beautiful, Stories about small neighborhoods helping each other in times of darkness, Small house, Big story, Old people, New me, Different happiness...

Sharing about the work, the author wrote: “You can start reading from any page, because each story is a separate piece of memory. Although not perfect, when put together, they will form a complete picture”. In that picture, the mother appears as a guiding light, silent but steadfast, always standing by her child’s side in every incident.

Reading “Wherever there is mother, there is home”, we realize that although each person may grow up in different circumstances, the core values of family affection, empathy and love are always present. The characters in the book, despite experiencing loss and hurt, still maintain an optimistic spirit, knowing how to “separate the bad from the good” to continue living a valuable life.

Family, though sometimes imperfect, is always a place to return to. As long as there is still a little love and faith in the heart, then mother and home are still the lighthouse that never dims its light.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/noi-nao-co-me-noi-ay-la-nha-3155018.html