Listen, Slowly

Consider the author’s decision to write from Mai’s first-person point of view. Does this choice allow the reader the opportunity to experience Mai’s internal monologue authentically, or does it make Mai a dislikable character with whom the reader struggles to find empathy?

Discuss how Mai views her physical body. She discusses how her thin frame contrasts with the more curvaceous bodies revered by Californians. How does her view of her body change when she gets to Vietnam? Analyze how the Vietnamese obsession with skincare mirrors the American obsession with body size and shape. How does Mai ultimately become less self-conscious while in Vietnam?

The reader never meets Mai’s mother in person but only hears her speak to Mai on the phone. How has Mai’s mother been an important influence on her life? How are her texts and phone conversations important to Mai’s success on her journey?

How does the author incorporate humor into the story, specifically through Mai’s personality? How is humor used to offset some of the more difficult themes of the narrative like war, loss, and grief?

Mai experiences two types of Vietnamese settings: the crowded, bustling cities and the idyllic, rural villages. Discuss what she learns from both environments and how and why she comes to love both equally.

More than anything, the mosquitoes bring the most misery to Mai while in Vietnam. What do the pesky insects symbolize on her journey? What is the meaning of the locals’ insistence that her blood is too sweet? Trace her journey of treating the bites.

Find examples in the narrative where the author shows the lasting impacts of French colonialism and the Vietnam War on Vietnam’s landscape, architecture, culture, and people. How does meeting the guard and hearing his story of surviving the war impact Mai far greater than any documentary or book?

Mai is surrounded by women during her time in Vietnam. What does she learn from Cô Tâm, Cô Hạnh, Con Ngọc, and the other women in the village? What is the role of women in Vietnamese culture?