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eggjen's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book - I knew next to nothing about the Hmong people and their struggles and found this book to be an excellent way of learning about them. Yang's writing is vibrant and compelling, her story and the story of her ancestors was fascinating. There were a few moments in this book that just struck me as odd, but on the whole I really enjoyed it. Yet another example of a book I might never have read if not for my book club, that I'm really really glad I got the chance to read.
maddielo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
aj_mooney's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
A beautifully poignant story about family, love, and loss. I am ashamed at how much I did not know about the Hmong people or their history, but Kao Kalia Yang does a spectacular job of sharing her culture with readers while also documenting the stories of her family. I love a memoir that is read by the author, and Yang's soothing voice swept me away to the mountains of Laos, the hills of Thailand, and the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Genocide
setherson7's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
An insightful perspective on the Hmong experience as refugees and their adaptability to life in MN, USA.
quigonchuy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
It's a beautifully written memoir that doubles as a history lesson through the eyes of a single Hmong family starting from the Vietnam war through to the passing of the family matriarch here in the US. It's also a testament to the failure of the American media and the education in the US (though it is not framed like this, this is just my commentary) that it is not common knowledge that the US recruited almost an entire group of people (2/3 of Hmong men) to fight a shadow war in Laos on behalf of the US and the repercussions of that.
anajoy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
coming from someone who has read exactly one memoir in their life, this is the best memoir i’ve read.
i read this memoir for class and i have to say that i am very glad that i did. i feel like it’s objectively so weird to rate a memoir because it feels vaguely like i am putting a rating on this person’s life, so i am basing my rating on the writing alone. with that being said, the writing was absolutely beautiful; the way that yang manages to capture emotions in her writing is so masterfully done like omg girl you are a Genius.