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Kim Thúy

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Ru: A Novel Paperback – November 27, 2012

by Kim Thúy (Author), Sheila Fischman (Translator)

4.0 1,113 ratings

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Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction
Winner of 2015 Canada Reads Prize
Winner of Grand Prix littéraire Archambault
Finalist for the 2012 Soctiabank Giller Prize
Finalist for the 2018 New Academy Prize in Literature
Longlisted for the 2014 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize.

At ten years old, Kim Thúy fled Vietnam on a boat with her family, leaving behind a grand house and the many less tangible riches of their home country: the ponds of lotus blossoms, the songs of soup-vendors. The family arrived in Quebec, where they found clothes at the flea market, and mattresses with actual fleas. Kim learned French and English, and as she grew older, seized what opportunities an immigrant could; she put herself through school picking vegetables and sewing clothes, worked as a lawyer and interpreter, and later as a restaurateur. She was married and a mother when the urge to write struck her, and she found herself scribbling words at every opportunity - pulling out her notebook at stoplights and missing the change to green. The story emerging was one of a Vietnamese émigré on a boat to an unknown future: her own story fictionalized and crafted into a stunning novel.

The novel's title, Ru, has meaning in both Kim's native and adoptive languages: in Vietnamese, ru is a lullaby; in French, a stream. And it provides the perfect name for this slim yet potent novel. With prose that soothes and sings, Ru weaves through time, flows and transports: a river of sensuous memories gathering power. It's a classic immigrant story told in a breathtaking new way.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kim Thuy's writing flows like poetry - it transports and appeases. It is powerful and evocative. This first novel provides a rare feeling of bliss." - Le Figaro

"An exemplary autobiographical novel...The major events in the fall of Vietnam are painted in delicate strokes, through the daily existence of a woman who has to reinvent herself elsewhere. A tragic journey described in a keen, sensitive and perfectly understated voice." - Governor General's Literary Award jury citation

"Kim Thuy describes her journey...employing scattered memories as they flow from the conscience... rich in sense and imagery.. The title, Ru, which means "stream" in French... sets the tone of this delicate novel, where the past and present mingle, reconstructing the course of a singular life." - Le Monde

About the Author

Kim Thúy was born in Saigon and arrived in Canada at age ten in 1978. She has degrees from the University of Montreal in linguistics and translation and in law, and has been appointed a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec. In 2017, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Concordia University, for giving eloquent voice to the refugee experience, and the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly of Québec.

Sheila Fischman is a two-time winner of both the Canada Council Prize for Translation and Columbia University's Felix-Antoine Savard Award, and has also received the Governor General's Award for Translation and the Molson Prize for the Arts.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (November 27, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 141 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1608198987
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1608198986
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.45 x 8.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #569,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,929 in Cultural Heritage Fiction
- #13,444 in Contemporary Women Fiction
- #28,952 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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4.0 1,113 ratings

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1,113 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the writing style beautiful and unique. They describe the book as an interesting, enjoyable read with a gripping story. The narrative flows naturally and gently, offering insights into the life of an immigrant from various perspectives. Many readers appreciate the authenticity and honesty of the personal experiences of the author. However, opinions differ on the narrative length.

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Writing style Value for time Story quality Beauty Insight Flow Authenticity Narrative length

40 customers mention "Writing style"40 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book. They find the poetry exquisite and unique, with a rich language that reads like a poem. The author draws the reader into images and souls through her words.

"...by subjective memories, and reads very much like a lengthy, meandering prose poem, giving us an artfully told tale of one family's long journey..." Read more

"...For me, neither of these detracted from the strong writing and affecting story, as we follow An Linh and her family and acquaintances from her..." Read more

"...Ru is beautifully written in a very unique style which captures your heart and mind. Kim Thuy's book is also informative...." Read more

"...But is more than that, because the language is so rich and beautiful it reads like poetry...." Read more

36 customers mention "Value for time"30 positive6 negative

Customers find the book an interesting and enjoyable read with powerful chapters. They describe it as a wonderful, joyous experience and praise the author's work as phenomenal.

"...I was enormously impressed by this little book. A magnificent achievement. My very highest recommendation. -..." Read more

"...There's still much to be gained from reading Ru, and the powerful chapters make it worth the time it takes to get to them." Read more

"...written in French, it is an amazing translation and an absolute joy to read." Read more

"...The book encompasses years and people with ease. Well worth reading." Read more

18 customers mention "Story quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging with its descriptions of life during the war. They describe it as a true story of a Vietnamese refugee that ends up living in Canada. The writing is described as strong and emotional, portraying the refugee experience with devastating reality yet with assurance. Readers appreciate the author's appreciation for life and the unfolding events. Overall, they find the story amazing, especially in light of current events.

"...For me, neither of these detracted from the strong writing and affecting story, as we follow An Linh and her family and acquaintances from her..." Read more

"...It is a story of loss without self pity. The language is lovely and rich and spare. The book encompasses years and people with ease...." Read more

"...us about the no no of touching someone's head, the cultural issues about food were fascinating...." Read more

"This is a true story of a Vietnamese refugee that ended up living in Canada...." Read more

16 customers mention "Beauty"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's visual style. They find it visually appealing, artistically written, and minimalistic. The writing evokes color, texture, and emotion.

"There are moments of real beauty and insight in Ru, but many of the chapters fail to deliver...." Read more

"...Ru is beautifully written in a very unique style which captures your heart and mind. Kim Thuy's book is also informative...." Read more

"...But is more than that, because the language is so rich and beautiful it reads like poetry...." Read more

"...This is a book of great beauty among great ugliness. It is a story of loss without self pity. The language is lovely and rich and spare...." Read more

12 customers mention "Insight"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides an insightful look into the life of an immigrant. They appreciate the author's portrayal of various perspectives and her immersion in reality. The book is described as an easy read with a lot to say.

"There are moments of real beauty and insight in Ru, but many of the chapters fail to deliver...." Read more

"...Kim Thuy's book is also informative...." Read more

"...an expatriated survivor of the Vietnam war is a very beautiful and revealing work...." Read more

"...Very informative." Read more

4 customers mention "Flow"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's flow natural and gentle. They mention it starts slowly, describing it as swimming in a slow stream.

"...'s story, which I suspect is highly autobiographical, does indeed flow naturally and gently, by subjective memories, and reads very much like a..." Read more

"Ru begins slowly, telling the reader the horrors of the Vietnamese refugee, of uprooting and starting over, of living life temporarily...." Read more

"...It was like swimming slowly in a shalow stream, perfectly safe and peaceful" Read more

"Flow....transform....be grateful in the moment........" Read more

3 customers mention "Authenticity"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book authentic and moving. They describe it as realistic, honest, and well-written.

"A shockingly honest, sad, and terrifically well-written book...." Read more

"Very poetic, realistic and personal experiences of a Vietnamese woman...." Read more

"Authentic and moving..." Read more

12 customers mention "Narrative length"7 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the narrative length. Some find it descriptive and easy to read, with one-page chapters that capture a memory. Others feel the writing is choppy and lacks a coherent narrative or timeline. The book jumps back and forth between different topics, which some readers find confusing and annoying.

"...The choice to write subject based fragments is interesting and I think would have been more successful if each were as balanced and provoking as the..." Read more

"...There is no story so don't expect one. You won't know much more about the character than what you've already learned from reading the synopsis...." Read more

"...They are very few words, but the right words that make the biggest impact. Her work is absolutely beautiful...." Read more

"...It was very short and choppy with no coherent narrative or timeline and left the reader with more questions than answers...." Read more

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Timothy J. Bazzett
Like a lengthy prose poem. A magnificent achievement.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase

RU caught me up and kept me reading from page one. Written in small snippets detailing her life as a child in a privileged Saigon family that is finally forced to flee the country after the Communist takeover, author Kim Thuy also gives us glimpses into their horrifying experiences as boat people, then in a refugee camp in Malaysia, before final stops in Canada. The short sections here flow effortlessly from one to another, although the chronology skips haphazardly between various locales and years and extended family members. The title, 'ru,' means a small stream, or a flow in French (the language in which it was first published), while in Vietnamese it means a lull, or even a lullabye. Kim Thuy's story, which I suspect is highly autobiographical, does indeed flow naturally and gently, by subjective memories, and reads very much like a lengthy, meandering prose poem, giving us an artfully told tale of one family's long journey into a new life. RU is, I think, a must-read for anyone interested in the Vietnamese diaspora, a direct result of the years-long Vietnam war. (Called the American war by the Vietnamese.) I was enormously impressed by this little book. A magnificent achievement. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

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blueotter
Where a Country is No Longer a Place But a Lullaby
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016
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Ru collects short fictional reminiscences by Kim Thuy, who was born in Saigon, survived the war, and emigrated to Quebec in 1979. The pieces are loosely connected, and this 140 or so page book is moving and lyrical. Protagonist An Tinh and her family originally are upper middle class in Saigon, with servants and chefs, but lose it all when the communists arrive. Sewing diamonds into clothes, they buy escape in a dark boat hold, with hundreds of others, to a muddy, ramshackle refugee camp in Malaysia. The living conditions will have you counting your blessings.

“My parents often remind my brothers and me that they won’t have any money for us to inherit, but I think they’ve already passed on to us the wealth of their memories, allowing us to grasp the beauty of a flowering wisteria, the delicacy of a word, the power of wonder. Even more, they’ve given us feet for walking to our dreams, to infinity. Which may be enough baggage to continue our journey on our own. Otherwise, we would pointlessly clutter our path with possessions to transport, to insure, to take care of.”

Tinh develops from mute fear in so-different Quebec, shadowing a schoolfriend, to someone who, upon returning to Vietnam, is told by a waiter that she cannot really be Vietnamese, essentially because she has grown too Western and sure of herself. The key is to endure - her mother passes onto her a Saigon proverb: "Life is a struggle in which sorrow leads to defeat.”

Some readers have seen structural problems with the loose connections, and questioned the lack of character depth. For me, neither of these detracted from the strong writing and affecting story, as we follow An Linh and her family and acquaintances from her childhood ruin to a new country and hope.

“I moved forward in the trace of their footsteps as in a waking dream where the scent of a newly blown poppy is no longer a perfume but a blossoming: where the deep red of a maple leaf in autumn is no longer a colour but a grace; where a country is no longer a place but a lullaby.”

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Kindle Customer
At times beautiful, but too fragmented
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
There are moments of real beauty and insight in Ru, but many of the chapters fail to deliver. The choice to write subject based fragments is interesting and I think would have been more successful if each were as balanced and provoking as the best of them were. Without chronological order to tie the fragments together each segment must carry its own weight. When one fails it feels like a missing piece or a lost opportunity. There's still much to be gained from reading Ru, and the powerful chapters make it worth the time it takes to get to them.

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2 people found this helpful

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Kalika
I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
I cannot remember the last time I started reading a book and couldn't put it down, and the only reason I put it down was because my mind was so blown I had to stop and write this review - even though I haven't finished reading it. I'm on Chapter 29, but because the author starts a new chapter every few paragraphs, I'm actually only on page 39. I also stopped to email a friend and tell her to go and buy this book.

Ru is beautifully written in a very unique style which captures your heart and mind. Kim Thuy's book is also informative. I had never really considered the horrible struggles Vietnamese immigrants have had to endure, nor the wonderful victories many of them have achieved. Kim Thuy surmounted every obstacle on her path with love, strength and dignity.

Although I have not finished the book, I certainly will, but even if I never finish it, what I have read thus far has been such a pleasure, I will never forget it.

BUT, there is one thing I don't understand, and since there is no contact information for Kim Thuy, there is no one to ask. I am very curious as to why her book is called a "fictionalized" novel. It's an autobiography, so why was there a need to "fictionalize" anything? And exactly what is real and what is not? How and why would you fictionalize your own life story? Oh well...

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Carly from Ottawa
A richly described and beautiful story of a vietnamese family's escape to Canada
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
Ru is the story of a vietnamese family who escape Vietnam and arrive as refugees in Montreal. It is a series of recollections of the harrowing boat trip and the adjustment to life in Canada. But is more than that, because the language is so rich and beautiful it reads like poetry. Originally written in French, it is an amazing translation and an absolute joy to read.

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sunil bhatia
Wonderful
Reviewed in India on December 7, 2018
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The book is excellent.Excedingly well written.
Gives a candid portrayal of life of migrants in Canada during that particular period.

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Marcela
Precioso
Reviewed in Spain on July 28, 2018
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Brutalmente honesto y humilde. Contado en primera persona, este libro es abrir la puerta al corazón de un testigo. El inicio es un poco enrevesado, pero persista: su descubrimiento será un regalo.

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Friederike Knabe
"We must never regret what we left behind..."
Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2014
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Kim Thuy's slim volume, RU, is as much a novel as a fictionalized memoir and a reflection on the heroine's childhood in Vietnam, her escape as a ten-year-old with the boat people... and, via refugee camps in Malaysia, eventually, finding something like a home in Quebec... Like her heroine, she was born in Saigon during the Tet Offensive when circumstances for her family changed forever - from wealthy and respected Saigon family to people on the run without anything. She returned many years later to visit Vietnam where local people didn't recognize her anymore as Vietnamese: she "no longer had their frailty, their uncertainty, their fears."

Towards the end of the book, looking back on her earlier life, the narrator muses "...after only thirty years I already recognize our old selves only through fragments, through scars, through glimmers of light." It is these fragments, the scars and the glimmers of light that Kim Thuy has made the central theme of her book. Unusual in structure and beautifully, often lyrically written, the author's loosely connected vignettes paint an impressionistic, yet intimate portrait of the heroine, her family, her country and what it means to feel connected and uprooted at the same time. Evocative in her depiction of people and places, recalling memories and bringing out associations across time and space, the heroine recounts events and circumstances, essential or negligible, sometimes stories within stories. Like the workings of memory in our brains, nothing is told chronologically; much is only hinted at and, on superficial reading, not developed in depth. Connections between vignettes often hinge on one thought, one colour, one expression... Yet, taken together and letting the short fragments hold our attention for more than a moment or two, the reader is taken on a deeply moving voyage not only into the past of the heroine and her family, but also into the inner struggles of an individual displaced and disconnected from her roots, into her anxieties and fears to accept new ties that can bind... She travels with nothing much but her books, not wanting to weigh herself down with possessions, having learned that "we must never regret what we've left behind." Following another Vietnamese proverb - "Life is a struggle in which sorrow leads to defeat" - she balances sad memories with cheerful ones, accounts of brutality and despair with beauty and hope.

For RU Kim Thuy received, among other awards, the Canadian Governor General's Award for French language fiction and was shortlisted for the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize for the English version, exquisitely translated by award winning translator Sheila Fischman. [Friederike Knabe]

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Tammi L. Coles
vivid characters drowned in too much sentimentality
Reviewed in Germany on December 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
It is perhaps the inheritance of some survivors of war to be the memory keepers. The protagonist of this novel is one of them, a task she clings to like a drunk to a last drop, and is similarly compelling and repulsive to witness. The stories she tells of each of the family members bring them to life but also thinly. All become Heroic Survivors (capital h, capital s) and lose a certain humanity in the process. Mothers especially get this treatment -- they are wise and self-effacing and ever willing to sacrifice it all for their Innocents (capital i).

Readers will find her stories to be a vivid telling of all of the nuances of violent upheaval, especially for those with money. What must the children do to survive the adults around them? How will they be used and what will that do to them? How must those of one (native, privileged) class survive in a new country as another (disadvantaged, immigrant) class? How are new lessons and cultural cues learned and accepted? Etc.

The details are there, readers, just don't suffer too much from the cloying scent to sniff it out.

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J. Domin
A very moving tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
I bought this book almost in spite of the mixed reviews and I am very glad I did. The almost poetic style seemed ideal in its invocation of the Asian way of thinking and the difference in structure of Asian languages. Somehow the presentation of mere thoughts interspersed with narrative from the past and present seemed more than natural to me and made the book easy, enchanting and memorable reading.

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Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a lengthy prose poem. A magnificent achievement.

4.0 out of 5 stars Where a Country is No Longer a Place But a Lullaby

3.0 out of 5 stars At times beautiful, but too fragmented

5.0 out of 5 stars I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!

4.0 out of 5 stars A richly described and beautiful story of a vietnamese family's escape to Canada

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful

5.0 out of 5 stars Precioso

5.0 out of 5 stars "We must never regret what we left behind..."

3.0 out of 5 stars vivid characters drowned in too much sentimentality

5.0 out of 5 stars A very moving tale

Like a lengthy prose poem. A magnificent achievement.

Where a Country is No Longer a Place But a Lullaby

At times beautiful, but too fragmented

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!

A richly described and beautiful story of a vietnamese family's escape to Canada

Wonderful

Precioso

"We must never regret what we left behind..."

vivid characters drowned in too much sentimentality

A very moving tale