Simply Wandering Toward Freedom

Phuong Duong

Australia, 13-10-2025

Amazon Book Review Series of “Kingfisherish Wandering”

© Wix

If you have ever wondered what true freedom really means, Kingfisherish Wandering is a book that lingers long after you close it. Instead of offering dense philosophical arguments, it weaves Daoist insight into gentle, modern fables told through the quiet, witty voice of a small bird named Kingfisher. Through his wandering reflections, the book explores wu wei (acting effortlessly in harmony with nature), Dao (the boundless flow of all things), and freedom - not as doing whatever we please, but as finding peace by no longer resisting life.

Each story stands on its own, yet together they form a calm, meditative whole: you can open to any page, read a few lines, and feel the world slow down just enough for something inside you to shift. The writing is poetic, playful, and contemplative, echoing the spirit of Zhuangzi while quietly asking whether we are truly awake or still dreaming our way through existence.

The book’s connection to Professor Vương Quân Hoàng adds an extra layer of meaning. It draws inspiration from his Kingfisher Story Collection (Wild Wise Weird), where the character of Kingfisher first appeared as a symbol of playful Daoist wisdom. Professor Hoàng’s creative philosophy - his way of using irony, simplicity, and quiet reflection to explore human nature - shapes the book’s tone and emotional depth, giving it a distinctly Vietnamese balance of clarity, warmth, and compassion. At its heart, Kingfisherish Wandering reminds us that true freedom isn’t something to chase or control - it appears only when we finally let go.

(*) Note: This paper reprints Duong’s review [1] appearing on the Amazon page of the title [2].

References

[1] Duong P. (2025, Oct. 13). Simply Wandering Toward Freedom. https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/customer-reviews/R2X7SSTG5NL34D/

[2] Nguyen MH. (2025). Kingfisherish Wandering. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVLLLXNW/