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stralins's review against another edition
3.0
an important story to tell, with some wonderful language, but not as engaging as i thought it could be
lizaroo71's review against another edition
3.0
I'm going to log this as read since I stopped reading about thirty pages from the end.
The story focuses on Hang who has fled Viet Nam following the Viet Nam war. Prior to leaving, she takes her brother Linh to the airport and hands him off to a rescue worker. Her family believes Linh has been kidnapped, so Hang's Ba works to get the family to America to be reunited with Linh.
My interest in the book has to do with the historical aspects of it. I am always interested in learning about different cultures’ assimilation into America. I like the history of Viet Nam prior to the war and the experiences of fleeing the country. This is heartbreaking, but brings the characters alive.
I feel like the story takes a turn when they introduce LeeRoy - a wanna be cowboy that takes Hang under his wing when he is tasked with delivering her to where she believes her brother lives. This portion of the story drags on and doesn't add much to the development of Hang's character.
I read ahead most of the book, but the direction it went it didn't make sense to me any longer. I'm glad I picked it up and I'm glad I learned a new aspect of the perils of making it to America.
The story focuses on Hang who has fled Viet Nam following the Viet Nam war. Prior to leaving, she takes her brother Linh to the airport and hands him off to a rescue worker. Her family believes Linh has been kidnapped, so Hang's Ba works to get the family to America to be reunited with Linh.
My interest in the book has to do with the historical aspects of it. I am always interested in learning about different cultures’ assimilation into America. I like the history of Viet Nam prior to the war and the experiences of fleeing the country. This is heartbreaking, but brings the characters alive.
I feel like the story takes a turn when they introduce LeeRoy - a wanna be cowboy that takes Hang under his wing when he is tasked with delivering her to where she believes her brother lives. This portion of the story drags on and doesn't add much to the development of Hang's character.
I read ahead most of the book, but the direction it went it didn't make sense to me any longer. I'm glad I picked it up and I'm glad I learned a new aspect of the perils of making it to America.
zbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful story about a girls journey from Vietnam to West Texas, trying to find her brother while at the same time trying to find a way to communicate with those around her. It’s also the story of a boy who wants to be one thing and discovers that he something totally different. Very well written, interesting to see all the different ways words are used in the Vietnamese language. Makes me want to go on Duolingo and learn how to speak it!
cjmedinger's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully told story of a Vietnam refugee looking for a lost brother in Texas. The author does a wonderful job of dialogue written with an accent.
dingokitty14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
librenoot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Beautiful. Throughout the trauma, our main character learns to thaw her heart and find meaningful relationships. I was pleasantly surprised about how much I loved the romance between the two main character.
peyton_vernon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
A tough and beautiful story of a refugee’s journey from Vietnam to the Texas Panhandle in 1981. Ultimately this is a tale of horrifying trauma, resilience, family and language.