The true gold of character is self-sacrifice...

The Diary of a Female War Correspondent (Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 2025) is a truthful and emotionally rich account of the life of journalist and poet Le Thu, recording her experiences living and working on the battlefields of Central Vietnam, especially Binh Dinh - her hometown - during the final, fierce years of the resistance war against the US to save the country.

The book "Diary of a Female War Correspondent" is a small gift that the author wants to send to readers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification. Photo: NGO PHONG

This diary began in 1973 – the year she left Hanoi , leaving her young son behind to go to the battlefield on a special mission: to participate in the establishment of the Liberation Radio Station of Zone 5. From the moment she said goodbye to her son as he slept in his hammock, to every step she took carrying rice, setting up hammocks in the Truong Son forest, encountering artillery fire, countless times teetering on the brink of life and death… all are recounted in a sincere, simple yet profound writing style, deeply feminine but full of courage and determination.

Each page of the diary continues the vivid stories of life in the Truong Son mountain range, of extreme hardship and deprivation, but also of human kindness, courage, and revolutionary ideals. There, a devoted mother, a son always thinking of his elderly father and his hometown of Binh Dinh. There, a revolutionary journalist tirelessly dedicated himself. At the same time, it is also a "silent melody" of very personal emotions – deeply moving and humane – like the whispers in the poems "Writing to My Son," "Words of Love Left Behind," or the overwhelming joy of taking the first steps on homeland soil; the affectionate and close bond between soldiers and civilians on the Binh Dinh battlefield..., as the author confesses: "All the events and details in this diary are completely true, from my own perspective on the scale of values." The book is a culmination of journalistic and literary documents, of reality and emotion, of civic responsibility and human feelings.

Page by page, the Diary of a Female War Correspondent helps remind today's generation that there was a generation that lived, loved, fought, and sacrificed for such a great ideal! As the author expresses her heartfelt respect and trust: "The pure gold of character is self-sacrifice, altruism, and the profound culture of living 'for the country, forgetting oneself' of our ancestors throughout the ages. And, I cherish the young soldiers full of youthful enthusiasm, intelligence, and compassion of the liberation army, some of whom are gone, others remain... They are like pure gold bars, which will never rust with time!" (p. 330).

First published in 2015 by the People's Army Publishing House, "Diary of a Female War Correspondent" has resonated with and been loved by many readers, writers, and literary critics. However, due to limited distribution within the military library system, many readers have yet to have the opportunity to access the work. This reprint, published and distributed by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House to commemorate the 50th anniversary of national reunification, is an opportunity for the spiritual values preserved in the book to continue to spread to readers today and in the future.

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