In a recent review in the Omaha World-Herald, Guadalupe Mier of the Omaha Public Library calls The Secret of Hoa Sen one of her favorite poetry books of 2015. "Poetry speaks to me, and I believe that it offers something for everyone, from the sublime to the nonsensical," says Mier. "[Nguyen Phan Que Mai] writes eloquently about family, femaleness and the sensual beauty of her country. When she writes of place, I feel that I am walking past the rice shoots in a long ago world." Nguyen Phan Que Mai is among the most exciting writers to emerge from post-war Vietnam. Bruce Weigl, driven by his personal experiences as a soldier during the war in Vietnam, has spent the past 20 years translating contemporary Vietnamese poetry. These penetrating poems, published in bilingual English and Vietnamese, build new bridges between two cultures bound together by war and destruction. The Secret of Hoa Sen, Que Mai's first full-length U.S. publication, shines with craft, art, and deeply felt humanity. Click here to read the full Omaha World-Herald review. The Secret of Hoa Sen is available now at the BOA Bookstore.