Ten-year-old Hà lives in Saigon during the Vietnam War, where she stays close to her mother and three brothers while mourning a father missing in action. When North Vietnamese forces approach the city in 1975, the family boards a navy ship to flee. They eventually relocate to Alabama, sponsored by a local "cowboy." Written in spare free-verse poems, the narrative tracks Hà’s transition from her familiar tropical home to a confusing American landscape. She deals with food rations, the frustration of learning English grammar, and the hostility of classmates who do not understand her background.
Middle-grade readers and those interested in historical verse novels read this book to understand the specific logistical and emotional hurdles of the refugee experience. It provides a technical look at how language barriers function and how cultural identity shifts under the pressure of assimilation. Readers walk away with a clear picture of the 1970s American South from an outsider's perspective and the concrete steps a family takes to rebuild their lives after losing everything to war.
Inward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2011
- Language
- EN
