Birds Singing in the Garden is a book that can make readers pause, like a small confession. The author tells about a corner of his childhood as if touching the reader's childhood.
Author Phu Vinh Tran (real name Tran Van Phuc) chose a simple, everyday, and familiar writing style for his collection of essays. From rustic dishes, the sound of roosters crowing or birds chirping in the garden, each snack, to the rhythm of the hammock, lullabies, childhood friends,... all enter the writing in a gentle way, making readers remember themselves when they were children.
The book consists of 25 essays, divided into two parts: Life Stories and Career Stories. If the first part is a symphony of rural childhood with the sound of starlings, the creaking sound of hammocks, the smoke of straw in the afternoon and the scent of ripe rice, the second part is the heart of a devoted teacher with a blackboard, white chalk, small classrooms and silent things that are difficult to name.
The birdsong in the garden does not tell a grand story. The author simply invites readers to sit down, in the middle of a “garden of words”, to listen to the birdsong of the past. It is a sound that, if we do not pay attention, will easily pass by. But if we stop for a moment, we will feel our hearts soften, become softer. And, more peaceful.
Many passages make readers speechless. For example, when the author talks about Tet in his hometown, each sentence seems to peel off layers of love from simple things: "My mother said, wrapping banh tet at the end of the year is mainly for the whole family to gather together, both to worship ancestors and to remind children and grandchildren to look back to their roots. That is also a way for my mother to teach her children and grandchildren to be meticulous and careful." Or when talking about the old star apple tree at the beginning of the alley, the author wrote: "At some point, the corners of my eyes can't help but sting when I taste the sour, sweet, and astringent taste of the star apple in the bustling city."
For those who grew up in the countryside of the South, who lived through the time of oil lamps, ate rice with soy sauce, and played marbles under guava trees, the book is like a passionate and pure “homecoming”. And for today’s youth, this could be an opportunity to understand and love more a memory of where their parents grew up.
The birdsong in the garden does not have any promises, it is just a small "ticket" for you to get on the train "slow down and return to childhood".
And from there, we love the simple things around us more.../.
Guilin
Source: https://baolongan.vn/tieng-chim-hot-trong-vuon-mot-mien-ky-uc-trong-veo-a199448.html
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