The Women Carry River Water: Poems (Vietnamese Literature)

This landmark collection represents the first English translation of poetry by Nguyen Quang Thieu, a significant Vietnamese writer of the post-1975 generation. Translated collaboratively by acclaimed poet Martha Collins and the author himself, this bilingual volume presents verses rooted deeply in Vietnamese cultural traditions that honor the dignity of daily labor, the resilience of ordinary people, and the spiritual dimensions of human experience in contemporary Vietnam.Thieu's work draws upon a rich Vietnamese poetic tradition while addressing themes of displacement, reconstruction, memory, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of conflict. The poems capture the essence of Vietnamese life―its rhythms, relationships, and philosophical underpinnings―through images drawn from nature, labor, family, and community. The bilingual format stands as a bridge between Vietnamese and American literary traditions, and honors the linguistic and cultural dimensions of Thieu groundbreaking collection. Read more