A Banh Mi for the Soul

4.25 out of 5 stars

I’m so glad I finally picked up A Banh Mi for Two. It had been sitting on my TBR a little too long, but once I started listening, I was completely drawn into Vivi and Lan’s story. There’s something so special about a book that blends food, family, and first love, and this one does it beautifully.

The setting in Sài Gòn came alive through both the writing and the narration. I could practically hear the motorbikes buzzing by and smell the street food. And watching Vivi and Lan explore their roots and slowly open up to one another? Absolutely heartwarming. Their personal struggles felt honest and raw, especially as they unraveled their families’ pasts and tried to figure out who they wanted to be.

This is very much a coming-of-age romance, tender and thoughtful, with a lot of emotional depth. It captures that awkward but exhilarating feeling of a first relationship and does it with such sincerity.

The dual narration by Carolina Do and VyVy Nguyen made it even better; each voice brought a distinct perspective and warmth to the characters’ internal journeys. (I’m not sure if it was done intentionally, but) one was distinctly more “Americanized,” which I enjoyed. Just those little touches that bring an audiobook to life.

By the end, I was totally invested. In the romance, in the food blog, in the history… just all of it. A warm, meaningful listen that satisfies like the perfect banh mi.

Book Description:

A Banh Mi for Two
Trinity Nguyen
Narrated byCarolina Do, VyVy NguyenLength7 hrs and 28 minsPublished byMacmillan Audio · August 19th 2024
Coming of Age
Brian's rating★★★★½
Publisher description

In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families' histories—and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn.

In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started with her father, but has stopped updating since his passing.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese American Vivi Huynh has never been to Việt Nam. Her parents rarely even talk about the homeland that clearly haunts them. So Vivi secretly goes to Vietnam for a study abroad program her freshman year of college. She’s determined to figure out why her parents left, and to try everything she’s seen on her favorite food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two.

When Vivi and Lan meet in Sài Gòn, they strike a deal. Lan will show Vivi around the city, helping her piece together her mother’s story through crumbling photographs and old memories. Vivi will help Lan start writing again so she can enter a food blogging contest. And slowly, as they explore the city and their pasts, Vivi and Lan fall in love.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.