Book Review: Mèo and Bé by Doan Phuong Nguyen

Publisher’s description

Just before the United States enters the Vietnam War, eleven-year-old Bé and her three-footed kitten Mèo must rise above the injustices of war to find the comfort, safety, and love of a found family.

Eleven-year-old Bé hasn’t spoken a word since her mother left. She hangs on to the hope that one day they will be reunited, but after two years of waiting, it’s becoming more difficult. Her father—who is now frail and helpless after a stroke—can do little to protect her from her stepmother, Big Mother, who treats Bé like an animal and a servant. Thankfully, Bè has a secret friend, her little kitten Mèo, to comfort her in the worst of times. Maybe if she just steers clear of Big Mother and is obedient, everything will be okay.

Unfortunately, Big Mother has other plans. She accuses her of stealing, and Bé is drugged and sold. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a locked underground bunker being held captive with a group of young women. Bé is too young to understand why they’re prisoners, but at least she still has Mèo! He was hiding in her shirt when she was taken. As weeks pass, Bé makes a friend her own age, Ngân, even without speaking, and Mèo becomes a solace for the women—being available for cuddles and catching the mice that annoy them.

Suddenly, a violent uprising enables the imprisoned women and girls to escape, only to realize the wider world of war is just as dangerous. Can Bé and Mèo, and their newfound friend, Ngân, find their way to a safe place they can call home—even though the world is literally exploding all around them?

A beautiful literary work, full of kindness and compassion amidst the devastation of war.

Amanda’s thoughts

Be sure to read the publisher’s description up there. It gives a thorough overview of the story. I read this on the heels of another pretty grim book and wasn’t sure I could do two such upsetting reads in a row, but immediately got wrapped up in Bé’s story. This historical fiction is so powerful, so gripping, and shows us the Vietnam War from a perspective I feel like we have rarely seen. Bé is not excited to move with her mother to her father’s home, but it seems like the safer choice for now. Safer, that is, from the perspective of the war happening. It is, in fact, an incredibly unsafe move. Bé’s mom is her father’s second wife, and his first wife, Big Mother, is just awful—cruel and abusive in just shocking ways. She hates Bé, so when Bé’s mother leaves (in hopes of establishing herself elsewhere and sending for her daughter later), everything goes to hell.

Up until now, things certainly haven’t been great. Bé has been abused and neglected by Big Mother, but that’s nothing compared to what her life becomes after Big Mother sells Bé. Now living deep underground with other women, Bé’s life is a horror that I’m guessing most of us can barely even begin to imagine. But the older women all look out for her and the other young girl there, and she still has her beloved cat with her. It is the grimmest of grim situations, but there is still so much love, connection, and support. And then, when it seems like somehow things will be okay, like escape is possible, the reader is confronted with the reality of the fact that these are two young girls escaping during the middle of a war, in an extremely dangerous area, with nowhere to go and no resources.

It takes a long, long time for us to see anything that looks like real hope and a future for Bé. And even then, she will obviously forever carry with her the nightmares she has endured. This is not an easy read, not even for a second, but it’s such a powerful and moving story of one young girl’s survival in the face of unspeakable atrocities. Hand this to middle schoolers who can handle unrelenting trauma and brutality.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9781643796253
Publisher: Tu Books
Publication date: 05/23/2023
Age Range: 11 – 14 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews