The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb

• Book: The Beauty of Humanity Movement
• Location: Hanoi
• Author: Camilla Gibb

Camilla Gibb provides a warm and enlightening perspective on aspects of Vietnam’s journey to modern statehood over the last four decades. The story is told through the eyes of an old street soup-seller and his developing friendship with a young Vietnamese-American woman, intent on discovering her father’s history. The bridge between these two – and their very different cultural backgrounds – is a young Vietnamese man.
Gibb eschews detailed descriptions of Hanoi, focusing instead on the lived experiences of those people who are unable, or unwilling, to exploit the benefits offered by the country’s modernisation. Far from being a ‘travel book’, Gibb offers an insightful perspective on aspects of life as it is lived by many in modern-day Hanoi. Treating the country’s troubled history with sensitivity, she offers an unsentimental evocation of modern-day Hanoi that is nonetheless tinged with warmth and humour.

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