Stream, Money, Tears, Blood, Lullaby: A Review of "Ru" by Kim Thuy

Two letters, one word, and so many tumbling meanings, Ru by Kim Thúy, is a story as concise and layered as its titular word. Stream, flow of money, tears, blood...these are the translations of the word ru in French; cradle or lullaby are the word's meanings in Vietnamese. It's from this word, ru's, perspective, Kim Thúy takes us on a kaleidoscope journey through her protagonist, An Tinh Nguyen's life. An's recounting of her life story flows between different points in both her childhood and adulthood, beautiful, traumatic, and everything in between. All the while, Thúy's prose is unflinching and hypnotic, like the bloody lullaby in her story's name.

We bear witness to An's story from a young girl born in Saigon during the Tet Offensive, then as a young girl living as a Boat Person as she traveled to a refugee camp in Malaysia, to a young adult, then mother, in Quebec, Canada. On this journey, we are confronted with how seamlessly these ragged moments of An's life come together to create a whole image. In this layered and shifting story, we are reminded how complicated it is to know another human, or why they behave, and of how all these unseen moments in a life weave together.

In this way, Thúy's story also gives its reader a choice: to have grace and see An for her whole story, or be angry with An for her choices as an adult. The first asks us to compromise our feelings on what we might otherwise find unacceptable, while the second asks us to throw away compassion and all that we know of our protagonist.

I'll be honest, when I first read Ru, I found it hard to have grace for the main character as she got older and made decision after decision that hurt the people around her, especially when it came to her children. Still, I had compassion for the main character and what she had been through as a child herself. I can appreciate how such traumas affect a person, even into adulthood, but I still found it hard to reconcile with some of An's choices. When I suggested this book to my mother and her book club, however, none of them had the same qualms with some of An's adult actions as I did while reading Ru. It's always interesting to me how the same book can affect people so differently. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are if you've read Ru!

Reading Ru was a rollercoaster for me. Although only 160 short pages, Ru managed to elicit every emotion within, from heartbreak to joy, from relief to rage. Thúy's storytelling is unique, captivating, and poignant while maintaining a quality of other-worldliness in her prose, somehow magical, blunt, and grisly all at the same time.

If you want a quick but deep read that will leave you thinking for months after, I would suggest checking out Ru by Kim Thúy.

My Score: 4/5

Despite wrestling with my own reflective feelings on certain aspects of the book, I would definitely recommend this book to others, even just for the discussion potential alone. The writing is beautiful, the storytelling is unique, and there is so much to unpack. I would love to hear your thoughts on this book!

Age Rating: 18+

Mature subject matter, abuse.