The memoir of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh - Photo: National Political Publishing House
Family, Friends, and Country is a memoir she began writing in 2007 and completed in late 2009.
After being published by Tri Thuc Publishing House in 2012, the book has been reprinted many times. And the author continued to revise it in 2013, 2014, and 2023.
This time, the National Political Publishing House has reprinted the book with revisions and additions by the author in 2023. The book is being prepared for widespread distribution throughout the country.
The extraordinary life of Nguyen Thi Binh
This memoir is a fascinating collection of stories about a petite woman, particularly one who had to endure being separated from her young child and husband for many years while working on the arduous diplomatic front.
Family, friends, and the nation recreate the life and career milestones of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh - an outstanding diplomat, a living witness who participated in and observed the ups and downs of the nation's history in the 20th century.
Readers will be able to revisit the homeland where Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh had a happy childhood, followed by a vibrant youth and adulthood during the resistance against the French; and learn about a special front of the resistance war against the US, in which she participated as a key figure.
And of course, we cannot forget the story of the longest negotiations in history – the Four-Party Conference on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam in Paris – with 202 public joint sessions and 24 private meetings over a period of 4 years and 9 months (from May 13, 1968 to January 27, 1973) leading to complete victory, national reunification, peace, and development, as seen through the perspective of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, a leader in education, diplomacy, and Vice President of Vietnam.
The book also includes a section on "memories and lingering thoughts" of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, a section about her retirement period but still being busy with social work, along with a timeline of her life, including 96 years of age and 77 years of Party membership.
A woman of humble origins yet refined.
Sharing her thoughts at the launch of her memoir in 2012, Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh revealed that she wrote the memoir "Family, Friends, and Country" primarily as a document to leave to her descendants as a grandmother and a mother. In addition, the memoir also conveys valuable lessons for future generations.
Through this memoir, she wishes to express her gratitude to her comrades and fellow citizens who sacrificed their lives and blood to bring peace and independence to the country. In particular, she wants to express her gratitude to international friends who made significant contributions to the country's victory.
Each page of the memoir is expressed in simple language, without lofty philosophical ideas, but rather in a relatable and profound way, revealing Nguyen Thi Binh's devotion to her country and people.
Writer Nguyen Ngoc, who worked with Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh throughout the completion of her memoir, said that through the memoir, one can recognize in her a special combination of the common people and the refined, the simple and the elegant, the gentle and the steadfast.
She was a woman of youthful spirit and intellect, combining steadfastness with a willingness to embrace change and new ideas. She was a shining symbol of the noble qualities of Vietnamese women.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tai-ban-hoi-ky-cua-ba-nguyen-thi-binh-20250418094843421.htm
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