1975, the liberation of Saigon (South Vietnam). The Victory hotel, a handsome nine-storey building in the capital centre and a symbol of the splendour of the olden days, is claimed by the revolutionaries to accommodate the cadres of the resistance. Old Tham, whose fate is linked to the hotel’s, welcomes the newcomers with apprehension; yet he is appointed as official janitor of the building. Even better, old Tham, nicknamed “Grandpa” with affection, is treated as an equal by the heroes of the struggle. For more than twenty years, he will be a privileged witness of the inhabitants’ daily life and the keeper of their secrets and idiosyncrasies.
There is Tung, a joker who only goes about on his bicycle; Hon, the arrogant revolutionary; Bâ Tuan, Anh and their young boy, Tiên Công. And there is young Minh Ly, the former owner’s niece. People organise themselves. One resident grows courgettes on the terrace; another, a former underground revolutionary, discovers what a shower is…
