Daughters of the River Huong

by Uyen Nicole Duong

Daughters of the River Huong by Uyen Nicole Duong.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Asia, Asian Literature, Travel, Historical, Adult

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Carolyn Roys · Rating 1 out of 5]

I inter-library loaned this book as I though it sounded fabulous. This is several hours I will never get back. I kept hoping it would get better. The book came all the way from a Wyoming library so I'm sorry for the wasted effort. The writing was scatter-brained but I could have handled that if the story had been as compelling as advertised. I love books with some historical context, especially set in countries that have deep ties to the US. The character that holds the book together is a concubine of the royal Vietnamese family before the French invasion of the 20th century. She's supposed to be strong and interesting. Instead, I just found her pathetic. It's good for me to read a bad book now and then. It helps me appreciate the good ones. I'm sure people disagree but if your tastes are similar, don't waste your time. I do thank the St. Charles Public Library of Illinois for going to the effort of getting it for me. I'm sorry I wasted their resources.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult to rate this book, as I loved part and totally did not enjoy other parts. It was almost as though the book were written by two different authors.

The sections telling the tale of Simone's ancestors were wonderful to read. Also loved hearing about the changes in the country of Vietnam and getting a taste of what those changes did to the people who lived there.

The love story felt intrusive to the story of the ancestors, and was not enjoyable to read at all IMHO. If you are reading this book and not enjoying the chapters dedicated to the romance plot line, you can feel free to skip those chapters as they really do not tie into the story of the women whose lives are the basis of the rest of the book.

[Diem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get very far into this. French poetry, conjugal discord, cancer and mythology based visions is a lot for one chapter. The protagonist was long-suffering by the third page and while I love an e-Reader I do miss the satisfaction of being able to slam a book shut with a hearty, "Get over it, Sweetie!"

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a beautiful, well told, and engaging read. It's about five women, really, not three. The book opens with a very unhappy modern day Simone.. Why is she unhappy with her marriage? What's the deal with the husband? I immediately sensed a secret there..

The narrative then goes back to Simone's great grandmother in central Vietnam in the days when there was still a king, tho under French occupation. The Mystique Concubine catches the eye of the king when she is a boat paddler with a lovely voice and becomes one of his concubines, which is not an ideal life. This was a beautiful story.. and for me the most enjoyable part of the novel.

The young boat paddler realizes too late that she gave up much more than her boat and paddles.. "When I was still paddling my boat for a living, life was hard, but I belonged to no one. In so many ways, I was free and secure then.. I realized I had been imprisoned, not by the teachings of Confucius and his virtues, nor by the courtyards of the Citadel, but by my own heart."

The Concubine is a strong woman despite her situation. I love the moment she spoke up to a French official, "If you had come to me on the Perfume River, I would have knocked you off my boat with my paddle."

Circumstances cause the Concubine to leave the palace with her twin daughters in tow. One daughter becomes a revolutionary who faces a tragic ending. One daughter, Cinnamon lives to carry on the tales, the magic, and pass on the family legend to her own daughter, Dew.

I enjoyed Dew's story because of the fascinating look at the revolutionary aunt's tale. I found this tale very sad and it touched a deep part of me.

After Dew, comes Simone's tale. I didn't enjoy her tale as much as it takes place in the 1960s and involves a lot of singing and a man named Andre.. I found the situation with Andre a bit disturbing. Many secrets are revealed in the telling of Simone's tale, however, and much is explained.. especially the questions I had in the beginning of the story..

Laugh out loud moment: When a 6 year old (?) Simone took off her clothes and wore only dotted panties, red lipstick, Jackie Kennedy sunglasses, and a giant bra with a golden scarf around her hair in hopes of appearing blonde and pranced out in the living room in front of company... Priceless!!!

Some things were left unclear to me though. I would have liked more details about what happened to the Mystique Concubine after she fled the Palace. Her ending was revealed, but the time in between...rather vague. Also, who fathered Dew? Either I didn't understand something I read or I missed something there.

A very good read though and I learned a lot about Vietnam history and culture.

[LaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story about multiple generations of women in Vietnam, beginning with the Concubine wife to an Annamese King, up to the generation that left Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. I enjoyed the stories of the great-grandmother and grandmother much more than the modern byline. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear that many of the stories related about some of these women were shrouded in mystery or fables. Some of the stories were made up and handed down to cover uncomfortable truths, some which may remain obscured. This is a family of women who did what they felt they had to in order to survive, and at times, prosper (at least financially).

After a certain point, the more modern story line felt like Simone's choices were less about survival, and more about something else. Perhaps she was attempting to mask the emptiness and unhappiness of her current existence, but only seemed to bring more of it upon herself. I really didn't care for those parts of the book. However, it was interesting to read about her eventual return to Vietnam, and the vast changes that have occurred in the twenty or so years since her departure. She was able to find out what happened to her beloved grandmother that she left behind in Vietnam, but found that her homeland and her former homes had changed so much she could hardly recognize them.

It tried to end in a somewhat hopeful fashion, but this book was ultimately one of struggle, grief and scars. There were emotional scars when women made choices based on what they may have felt were their limited options. And all around the edges and through the middle of this story were the scars of a country torn apart by years of war and multiple regime changes.

The writing was at times quite beautiful, and I did like the following quotes:

"My mother hadn't warned me of the magic of the Perfume River and its moonlight, which could turn life into dreams-even if they were sad dreams that would ultimately imprison a woman with muscular arms and legs and with eyes accustomed to searching the blackened sky for a star to guide the lonely boat she paddled."

"Where was the truth? I became the wandering soul looking for roots buried under ruin, denied forever the certainly of full knowledge."

[Kayla De Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read Asia Challenge 02

Daughters of the River Huong is the first book that I have read that takes place in Vietnam. I was initially planning on searching for a novel that tackled the Vietnam War as that is one of the most well-known topics on the country, but the plot of Uyen Nicole Duong’s novel suited my mood and I was very much intrigued by how it discussed parts of Vietnam’s history that aren’t that widely known.

The book was told from four different points of view, in varied settings and time periods. It was a bit hard to get into the rhythm of things, at first, because the book began with Simone’s voice and suddenly transitioned into the story of the Mystique Concubine. Despite enjoying the various perspectives, I felt that there wasn’t enough distinction and contrast among the four; I frequently had to backtrack and reread several parts because I was confused as to whose story I was currently immersed in. I definitely enjoyed the Mystique Concubine’s part, though, and I wish that there was more of it. Hers was a period of transition and change, and it was disappointing that only her love affair, and not the aftermath of her husband’s exile, was shown in great detail.

Contrary to the blurb of Daughters of the River Huong, the book does not tackle Princess Ginseng’s story but rather, her twin, Cinnamon, since the latter was Simone’s grandmother. Yes, Cinnamon was an interesting character – a symbol of the country’s old set of traditions and beliefs standing firm amidst the fast modernity and globalization of the world – but I think that the book would have greatly benefitted from a chapter or two being told from Ginseng’s perspective. I have never heard of the Vietnamese Revolution before and sadly, the author failed to discuss it in her book despite it being a pivotal moment in Simone’s family history, as well as in the history of the country. What happened to Ginseng was unimaginable and horrifying, and sadly, many women have experienced the same thing. I honestly believe that the book would have been better had Ginseng not been viewed through the eyes of an innocent child.

What bothered me the most about Daughters of the River Huong, however, was the scrambled writing that at times, could be quite confusing. I felt as if the author was trying too hard to convey profound and thought-provoking themes, thinking that she could do so by using flowery metaphors and purple prose. Sadly, it did nothing for me, and the “complex” writing only ended up baffling the reader.

As is evident from its blurb, Daughters of the River Huong had a huge cast of characters who, by bloodline, intersected each other. Unfortunately, this bond, aside from the prophetic dreams and predictions, was lost on me and I found no evidence that supported this so-called link. Speaking of the dreams that some of the characters had, I still have no idea what the floating coffins mean. Anyone care to enlighten me on this?

Despite the many issues that I had with this book, Daughters of the River Huongwas still a great read. I enjoyed learning about this aspect of Vietnam’s history and I’m definitely on the lookout for more titles that discuss it.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child of the 60s & 70s, when I think of Vietnam I think horror, and pain, and body bags. I think of all the beautiful boys that were my friends who went away to war and either came back in one of those caskets draped with the American flag, mothers, fathers, and siblings crying and wondering why, or of those sweet innocent boys who left thinking of Chevy's, and girls, and Saturday night dances, and came home quiet and subdued, sweating and screaming in their sleep, never to return to the unstained children who had left such a short time before. The only pictures I had been shown were of soldiers, no shirts, cigarettes and weed hanging from their mouths, standing in a military camp in a jungle. In the 80s I met many Vietnamese brides of service men, always tiny and quiet things looking like a deer in the middle of the road, knowing something terrible is about to happen but frozen and powerless to do anything about it. I am so glad that I read Daughters of the River Huong; Ms. Duong's story is so beautifully told that it has eased the ugliness in my mind about Vietnam.

"We, the Chams, are the disappearing Hindu minority of central Vietnam. The Kingdom of Champa was officially annexed into Vietnam during the fifteenth century, and by the start of the sixteenth century, most Chams had taken on Vietnamese last names." The story begins told through the eyes of a young Cham orphan girl who paddles people across the Perfume River that runs through the city of Hue. She meets the King of Annan who is already losing his power to the French occupiers of the country. The young king is so taken with this girl that he later sends royal guards and royal musicians to take her in a rickshaw to his palace to become one of the Royal Concubines. Thus begins the story of the Mystique Concubine and the three generations of women who follow.

Ms. Duong leads us gently through the beauty and poetry of Vietnam. She also magnificently describes the influence of the French, Hue province, Saigon, and then the influence of the Americans and the fall of Saigon. Through the eyes of fourth generation, Simone, we learn how it feels to be torn from the home that you love, to adapt and become successful in another culture, and then return to a country that you no longer recognize. This historical fiction is well worth the effort and I recommend it especially to those, like me, who are ready to let go of the demons of that war.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this book for free as one of Amazon's daily deals. I visited Vietnam almost two years ago and I would like to know more about the country and the people. I thought a novel written by a Vietnamese-American might tell me something about both.

The story was fine and I am not sorry that I read it. The premise was interesting and the writing good enough to hold my interest. I am not sure that I actually learned any more about the history of Vietnam, but that did not really matter. I fell into one woman's life and enjoyed it while I was there.

I recommend this to folks who enjoy family sagas and to those who like to experience time periods and places that are difficult to actually visit.

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simone Mi-Uyen escaped Vietnam in 1975 and married the American who helped her leave. Although she attended law school and had a career, she never adjusted to life in Manhattan. When her circumstances change she divulges her family history through the stories of her great-grandmother, Huyen Phi (the Mystical Concubine to the King of Annam), her grandmother Que Huong (Princess Cinnamon) and her mother Mi Suong (known as Dew), covering the French occupation, the Viet Cong rebellion and the Vietnam War. The story has a mystical feel to it in her connections to many people who have died. Very interesting look at Vietnamese culture through a variety of governments. The magical aspects were my least favorite.

[Stefan Lotz · Rating 2 out of 5]

One-sided, romanticized account through the eyes of the privileged lives of royal descendants. Author shows little or no sympathy or understanding of the struggle against French colonialism and American aggression from the revolutionary’s point of view. Historically inaccurate in places e.g. depiction of “French” Saigon in 1966 when the Americans have been there at least since 1956. Forced and cliched in many places.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audible version: The author should be furious! I can't imagine how many listeners returned this title once they realised that the narrator has no experience at all with the Vietnamese language. No matter how good this story is, I was unable to continue past Chapter 3, as the pronunciation was excruciating. What goes through the minds of the Audible staff charged with selecting their readers? It isn't just me who is aggrieved. Uyen Nicole Duong should sue for lost earnings!

[techietype · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction

In anticipation of a trip to Vietnam, I want to learn something more of the history of the area. This provides a great snapshot into colonial times in Indo China leading up to the modern era. Highly recommend

[Alex Peek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and painful

[˚₊‧☾ space case ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf. I tried a few times… It was too oof and somewhat pathos-y for me. Which was disappointing, because the premise sounded really interesting.

[Shawn Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleeing falling Saigon via the last American airlifts of the Vietnam war extracts a significant emotional toll and ripples unrelentingly through life from the moment the decision is made.

So it was for Simone, who chose to save her family from the advance of the Viet Cong by offering herself to and marrying the journalist Christopher Sanders. It is a marriage that is not made in love, but out of necessity. And though Christopher loves Simone very much, she cannot bring herself to love him.

There are reasons.

Interwoven through Simone's story is the story of her female ancestors, starting with her Cham grandmother - the celebrated Mystique Concubine.

The historical flashbacks in this book are incredible. The picture drawn of Vietnamese life before the Vietnam-of-the-war that we know in the West is captivating. Duong is brilliant at illustrating with words. She draws out the emotions of The Mystique Concubine and her daughter Cinnamon skillfully and thoroughly, and she touches on the reach of a family's history through related women.

It is with the contemporary story, however, that the book falls short. Simone's story, from the beginning, bothered me. Rather than the story being an issue, I think it was that I could find little to empathize with in the character herself.

Simone went through terrible hardships and experienced great fear, and these took a tremendous emotional toll. I expected it to affect her entire life. What I could not process was Simone's absolute inability to connect emotionally with anyone, and her inability to see beyond herself. With a husband who supported her in a very comfortable lifestyle, and then supported her career decisions, I would have thought Simone could have felt something toward him - or else left him to be on her own. She did neither. And she let him know, without using words, that he made her skin crawl. She took away his chance to be loved by refusing to love him, no matter what he did to gain her love.

She did not connect with her own mother. She carried a picture in her head of a man she eventually could not love, either. Not when he appeared as less handsome, less virile than she remembered.

She expected the best treatment from others, but in the end was not able to treat them in the same manner she demanded of them.

And, in the end, there is a glimpse that she might have changed her behavior and approach - but it is only a glimpse. She says she knows what to do. There is no evidence of whether she does it or whether she returns to her selfishly inward and perpetually unsatisfied approach to everything and everyone.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novel is set mainly in Vietnam and looks at the lives of four generations of the same family over most of the twentieth century. Family myths are often preferable to family history, which perhaps holds true for the country's history as well.
The main focus is on the women in the family. Simone's great-grandmother was a young woman from the Cham ethnic minority, paddling a ferry boat across the River Huong in Hue when she attracted the attention of the young King of Annam, who made her a royal concubine. She is the most interesting character in the book; after the king is forced to abdicate, she sells her jewellery and strikes a deal with the French consul to set up a silk farm. She becomes a wealthy business woman, proud of her aristocratic connections, but she uses her wealth to fund the Cach Mang / Viet Minh, which two of her children and her maid join. Her other daughter, Simone's grandmother, is less active and stays to run the business. (She hosts the Viet Minh in her villa during the Tet Offensive, but it is unclear whether she does so voluntarily.) As a child, Simone's mother had idolised her aunt, but she marries a pro-French, pro-US academic and moves to Saigon. She misses her mother and her garden, but not her dreams of Vietnamese independence. Simone and her father see the Viet Minh / Vietcong as the enemy.
Much of the book is taken up by Simone's relationships with a Frenchman and an American and did not interest me at all. She was rather an obnoxious child and did not get nicer as she got older. It is also not a useful book for learning much about Vietnamese history: WWII, the Vichy government and the Japanese occupation are not covered, even the Vietnam War and its aftermath are only touched on quite briefly. (Is the poverty Simone sees on a visit back to Vietnam solely due to the economic sanctions, or did bombing and defoliation not play a part as well?) I originally bought this book for my literary world tour, but it was not suitable and I read something else instead.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading for a glimpse into Vietnamese history. I would have given it 3.5 stars if you could give half stars. What I enjoy most about historical fiction is the chance to imagine and get a sense of what life was like in the culture and during the time period of the character(s). I thought this book did a good job recreating some of the Vietnamese history and painting a picture of the lives of the main women characters. I also enjoyed reading about the different generations of the women and the bond they shared. There were times in the book when the author painted brilliant pictures of the surroundings in the book and I thought there was excellent attention to detail.
This book was not without its faults, though. It was told from too many different points of view in my opinion. Also, there were times when the time period or topic jumped around too much and it was hard to follow. You'd be reading along with 35 year old Simone and then all of sudden she was 10. I had a hard time getting into it at first, because I thought that the first part with the modern day Simone was a little hard to follow. At one point, I actually went back and reread that first section so I could understand it better.

I'd recommend this book, but only if you enjoy historical fiction and enjoy reading about the bonds between generations of women.

[Donna LaValley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystical, memorable, melancholy, and finally, melodramatic. Starting with the last kingdom of today’sViet Nam (1880), through four generations of women, we see the French taking over, the influence of China, American “help” and the Tet offensive with the Viet Cong. The story ends in the late 1990s with Simone’s return as a corporate attorney from an American firm. This is a totally feminine view, however. If you want historical fiction, look elsewhere. This one is heavier on myth and the fortunes of two wealthy families, one French, one Vietnamese. I enjoyed the descriptions and details of the loveliness of Hue, the former palace life, and also the Parisian chapter, but the coffin imagery and Simone’s character flaws (as I see them) drag this down. That the women were all beautiful and “one” (a symbol of the beautiful country) is repetitive. The myriad tragedies that took place in Viet Nam is a serious and important subject capable of being handled in literature, and I felt enriched by some of it. However, here is the last sentence of the book, which sums it up: “In this life, will I let go of Cinnamon’s floating coffins and the garden of a place that is no more?”

[Margaret Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughters of the River Huong that spanned multiple generations and embraced the timelessness of a culture that faced loss and tragedy with dignity and grace. it was good to be reminded of the beauty and the rich culture rather than just focus on the ravages of a lingering war. At times it was difficult to separate the generations and characters, hence four stars; however, a worthy read that honored the nostalgia and mystery of a country and people that have persevered. I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

Daughters of the River Huong spanned multiple generations and embraced the timelessness of a culture that faced loss and tragedy with dignity and grace. It was good to be reminded of the beauty and the rich culture rather than just focus on the ravages of a lingering, disappointing war. At times it was difficult for me to separate the generations of characters, hence four stars; however, it proved to be a worthy read with nostalgia and mystery.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it three stars for all the interesting history about Vietnam under the French and during the American intervention, but otherwise I was disappointed with this story of 3 generations of women from one family. The primary narrator, the youngest of the three, was especially unsympathetic. She thinks her fate is bound to the history of her grandmother and great-grandmother. It is not clear, however, whether in telling her own story she is simply noting the parallels or trying to escape them. Her portion of the novel describes a talented, but emotionally-stunted and self-obsessed woman, determined to make others pay for her immaturity and for the sacrifice that enabled her family to escape Saigon in 1974. The book was grandly conceived, but poorly executed, which is a shame because the themes it raises, but fails to explore, are fascinating.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit of a struggle initially to get into this book - and I even put it aside and read something else - but once I got about a third of the way, I could not put it down. Daughters of the River Huong tells the story of three Vietnamese women, from different generations, connected spiritually and genetically. As the description states, you follow the characters from the early dynasty days, through the Vietnam war, and into the new Vietnam of the '90's. The journey takes the reader also to Paris and New York, and then back again to Vietnam, adding context to the news stories we have heard. This is a good historical fiction account of a time that has been muddy for me. An added benefit has been discussing the story with a Vietnamese woman I know who came to the U.S. as a child refuge. Though not a "perfect" book, it did answer some questions for me, and yet presented others.

[Mary Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book. The author has chosen an episodic structure that travels back and forth thru time. I think that damages the book, leaving the reader frustrated again and again in following the story. Worse, the modern day protagonist is unlikeable- I wanted to feel empathy for her as a troubled young woman facing the horrors of the fall of Saigon, but I never liked her enough to do so. Other characters were mere sketches or, in the case of the Mystique Concubine, a very interesting character whose story is truncated by the structure and focus. I did like learning a little bit about Vietnam in the last decades of French control, and I give the author credit for making that,and not the US war, the focus of most of the book. But overall, in more talented hands, this book would have been much improved. Not everyone with a compelling life story to share is a compelling storyteller.

[Sharon Enright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my May 2016 Book Club. I did not really enjoy it much, although much of it takes place in Hue, a city with fascinating history in central Vietnam. I have visited Hue and the Citadel, so it was interesting to try to imagine that history. The early story of the Mystical Concubine was definitely interesting. The story quickly turns to her great grand daughter, who escapes Vietnam as the Americans are leaving. Much of the story involves this young woman's affection for a Frenchman who frequently traveled to Vietnam when she was a child. It evolves into a convoluted, unrealistic story of her love for him and his passion for her. Other than some of the historical information, I did not think this book was worth reading. It is at times awkwardly written--and I was amazed at the number of typos in the book I read.

[Patty Brandl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughters of the River Huong was fascinating from the start, a story of generations of Vietnamese women paralleling the country's turbulent history. Unfortunately, when the story swings back to Simone, who appears to be a thinly veiled character based on the author, the story becomes hard to take. Maybe because Sone is the most beautiful, most talented, bravest woman in existence. I loved the book when it described the lives of her grandmother and great-grandmother (the most beautiful royal concubine, of course) and the history in their back stories was really interesting. I just didn't like what happened too often as the story flipped again and again to Simone: it became a mushy romance novel/giant pat on the back. Two thumbs up on the tales of the ancestors - a "skip it" for the rest.

[April Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughters of the River Huong by Uyen Nicole Duong

I always finish a book, good or bad! This is a hard book to read, had to force myself to return to it. Maybe it's the cultural differences or just the style of the author, it seemed to jump from character to time line. I found myself lured to one story only to be in the middle of a different story. Of course as an American we all know the tragic end of this story, yet we seem to be searching for the "rest of the story" so to speak. This was a frustrating book for me, yet I found myself tweeting certain lines that made my mind wonder and my heart beat! Every book leaves something for the reader, good or bad, happy or sad, all books manage to influence us, one way or another, isn't that why we read?

[Mary Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four women, four generations, one country

Four women, four generations, one country

Mostly praise, few disappointments and a learning experience. It was a fount of new history information as regards Vietnam for me. Just makes me want to understand more. Compelling first generation heroine. Smart, had to adapt and did. Second generation, convictions and loyalty, but above all family. Third generation, barely sketched in. Weird, considering the character lives for a good long time. For me, the disappointment. Fourth generation, kept me guessing until the last pages.

[Puck Winqvist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for a trip to Vietnam. It added to my experience of what is left of the Royal City near Hue. The descriptions are wonderful, the story an interesting depiction of life in the Citadel, and of the struggle after the emperor was removed. The recent history of Vietnam through the eyes of the descendants of the imperial concubine, whose daughter (now an elderly woman) stays behind in Saigon when the rest of the family flees to the USA.
The tone is somewhat dreamlike, especially in the first few chapters. Modern times are described more matter of factly.

[Asl4u · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read - 1) it is a great story (or stories - because there are several generations being told)... 2) it is subtly Vietnamese... not so foreign that you cannot quite wrap your head around the motivations - but there are definite cultural/expectational differences present 3) it has a really nice wrap around... not an ending I would have wished for (were it my story)... but considering the archetypes - absolutely believable.
Overall - I enjoyed it - and will probably come back and read/or listen to it again.

[RYCJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story bejeweled by songs, myths, taboos, and memories imbibed from factual events pivoting around a river spanning four generations. There is the concubine (loved her memoir--absolutely beautiful)... and Dew, one of the twin's daughters' (very touching)... and then Simone's memoir, Dew's child... wrapping up a powerfully moving tribute to the women who collectively make Daughters of the River Huong royal.