The short story collection "People Riding on Smoke" by writer Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa

This 208-page collection of 16 short stories, printed in 13.5 x 20.5 cm format and published by the Vietnam Women's Publishing House in 2025, contains a multifaceted portrayal of reality in the former Ninh Thuan region.

Like her previous works, in this collection of short stories, writer Kim Hoa portrays the fate and inner depth of the characters in each story, interspersed with familiar landscapes of Phan Rang: sand dunes, cacti, vineyards, flocks of sheep, rivers, Cham towers... The first story, "On the Grassland," is a touching tale set in a sheep pasture. The central narrator, "I," revolves around her relationships with the other characters: her mother, a generous woman who loves her husband and children; her father, a soldier suffering from amnesia due to the effects of bombs, jungle malaria in the Cambodian battlefield, who is terrified of thunder, lightning, and storms; and the three sisters – "I" being the eldest. Yet, after reading the story, we are left with a sense of unease... It turns out that when her father regained his memory, the sisters learned that before joining the army, before meeting their mother, and before the three sisters were born, their father already had a wife and children in the North. The story unfolds as the younger brother makes contact, travels all the way to Hanoi , meets his father's "grandson," and learns that for many years the family had set up an altar to commemorate their father as a war hero. Returning to Phan Rang, the brother says to his sister, "Let's give Dad back to them, Hai..."

The short story collection "People Riding on Smoke" by writer Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa.

Other stories such as "Beside the Windmill," "In the Heart of the Stone," "Amidst the Sand," "Under the Shadow of the Tower,"... or the story "The Group Riding on Smoke," which the author uses as the general title of the collection, all contain a humanistic reality, evoking feelings of emotion and reflection after reading.

The female writer Kim Hoa has a special talent for structuring very compelling stories from the smallest details of everyday life, with few characters and an engaging writing style. The core of each story is a message full of love for her homeland and its people, addressed to readers today. We respectfully introduce this collection of stories to readers near and far.

DINH HY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202511/tap-truyen-ngan-bay-nguoi-cuoi-khoi-cua-nha-van-nguyen-thi-kim-hoa-1b97e5d/