“War, torture, escape and persecution: In “Loan – From the Life of a Phoenix”, Isabelle Müller tells the true story of her mother Mè Loan, a headstrong and rebellious Vietnamese woman who fled a forced marriage at the age of just 12 to find her way to herself and a self-determined life on a long and often dangerous odyssey through Vietnam, France and Algeria.
The emancipation story “Loan – From the Life of a Phoenix” provides an insight into the fairytale-like, but sometimes also archaic and brutal culture in China’s neighboring country. It describes a time of war and the struggle for survival of which hardly anything is known here.
In her book, Isabelle Müller talks about dignity, tolerance and acceptance – concepts that were and are of great importance in her own eventful life, which has some parallels to that of her mother.
You can find another interview with Isabelle Müller about her autobiography “Phoenix Daughter”, which was published a few years ago, here:”
© Text: Werner Huemer
