Debris of Debris

As conveyed through the title, the characters in the novel suffer a similar fate to that of 'debris', a concept meant to evoke the images of the physical debris left over from the destruction caused by the recently ended Vietnam War. In this case however, the 'debris' is intangible and largely internal, found in the historical setting of the book, in society, in the characters' families, and even the psychological and emotional 'debris' of each individual person. The novel is a story not unique to Vietnam, but is one that applies to any morden day post-war period.

Writers' Association Publishing House

I finished Debris of Debris today. What a marvelous novel! The inter-related stories that make up the novel are fascinating and often charming. Your variety of characters and their stories give a poignant and comprehensive portrait of, as you write in your acknowledgements, "the lost generation of young Vietnamese intellectuals." Reading their lives saddened me once again, and in a very personalized way-because I could connect to them-that once we had tried to kill each other, and too often succeeded. In short, I was both enlightened and moved by the book. I'm very impressed also that you wrote it in English.

Wayne Karlin - American veteran writer - Letter to the author

At the moment, Vietnamese literature is lacking such a selection for English-speaking audiences. In this sense, Vinh Quyen's Debris of Debris is firmly planted at the center of a cultural crossroads.

Zac Herman - Youth Weekly