Which scene or scenes in the book did you find the most memorable, and why?

Which scene or scenes in the book did you find the most memorable, and why?

I found the scenes of Dieu Lan leaving her children in different locations the most heart wrenching for me. You know as the reader that this is necessary, but such an extraordinary necessity!

There were innumerable scenes which were memorable for me, however one that stands out is when Huong read her mother's journal because this began the "return" of Ngoc to her family . Once her secrets became known by those she loved, she was able to move towards her freedom and acceptance with the hope of reducing suffering.

The scene where Dieu Lan leaves her first child at the Pho stand really sticks out to me because it felt like such an impossible situation and I felt it viscerally being a mother myself. How it was the beginning of so much loss for her.
I love how the author then tied in bringing Pho to her long lost son before he died. The nourishment that saved them once was the thing that helped usher Minh into death more comfortably.

I feel the same as lauriel - I found the scene of Huong searching for, finding and reading her mother's journal one of the most memorable as it helped bring Huong clarity and insight into who her mother was/is and served as a bridge for them to build their relationship and understanding of one another.

The walk Dieu Lan made dropping off her children one by one was heartbreaking. Her determination to remember where she left each one and her vow to come back for each of them really conveyed to me her strong character.

Actually, all the scenes of her leaving her children were heart-grabbers.

The walk Dieu Lan made leaving her children one by one brought the greatest sadness. As a parents I can't image having to make this terrible choice. My sadness was countered with hope based upon the strength of her character and determination to remember each child’s location and her vow to return for each of them.