New Caledonia (France) / All works
Novel
Chân Đăng: The Tonkinese of Caledonia in the Colonial Era
Chân Đăng
Jean Vanmai · 1980
Synopsis
In the 1930s, young Tonkinese men on contract land in New Caledonia after the crossing from Tonkin. Among them, Thắng, a gentle boy, has fallen in love on the ship with Liên, from whom he is separated shortly after arrival. The novel follows their learning of the island, the hard work in the mines, life in the camps under the authority of foremen and settlers, and the trials of these workers who were called the chân đăng, bound by their contract.
Context
Published in Nouméa in 1980 by the Société d'études historiques de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, with a preface by its director, Georges Pisier, the novel received the Prix de l'Asie the following year. According to the Alliance française de Melbourne, it is the only novel to tell the little-known story of the Tonkinese workers sent by the thousands to New Caledonia between 1891 and 1939. Written largely in dialogue, from oral testimonies, it was translated into English in 2022 by Tess Do and Kathryn Lay-Chenchabi. A sequel, Fils de Chân Đăng, appeared in 1983.
Who it is for
A historical novel written from collected recollections, readable in English in open access.
Prizes and reception
The jury that crowned it praised its historical importance, and Caledonian readers gave it a warm welcome.