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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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:
Complicated
(I do not rate memoirs.)
This book tells the story of a young girl who moved with her family from Vietnam in the years after its tragic civil war using two timelines. In the "present," she, as a 12 year old, starts to write her memories of Vietnam, their move, and their first years in the US when she realizes that her younger sister remembers very little of their time in Vietnam. The other timeline is that story. Both timelines tell the story of the author herself. I will always recommend memoirs, especially ones that give voice to people who have often not been listened to.
This book tells the story of a young girl who moved with her family from Vietnam in the years after its tragic civil war using two timelines. In the "present," she, as a 12 year old, starts to write her memories of Vietnam, their move, and their first years in the US when she realizes that her younger sister remembers very little of their time in Vietnam. The other timeline is that story. Both timelines tell the story of the author herself. I will always recommend memoirs, especially ones that give voice to people who have often not been listened to.
A Two-Placed Heart by DoanPhuong Nguyen was a sweet love story to the main character's past, to a culture she still remembers, but moved away from. Bom takes up to writing poems to help her sister, Bo, remember their life in Vietnam, before they moved to the United States.
I am not an immigrant. I was born in the United States and most of my childhood, I bounced between rural areas and suburbs. My experiences in life are not the same, but I still found myself relating deeply to Bom. The rural aspects of Bom's life in Vietnam, the multitude of cousins to play with, climbing trees, and picking fruit to eat, those poems brought back a lot of sweet and happy memories of my childhood on my grandparent's farm. I grew up living mostly in a trailer as well, so the variety and spectrum of people that Bom describes was so accurate. The sirens, the weird, different people coming and going and staying shut in their house. It felt so very familiar to my own life. Bom's shyness and her determination to write and express herself through writing. I saw myself in her, as a child, just writing to escape the cruelty of relentless bullying and teasing. Super Phuong was such a fun character, reminding me of my own heroes that I'd create when I was little.
This story is such a love letter to family and to telling your story. I LOVE that it gives this from an immigrant, Vietnamese lens, because we don't often get to see that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a heartwarming story about a girl just trying to find her way in a new country, and trying to get her sister to remember the life they lived before they made it to America.
I am not an immigrant. I was born in the United States and most of my childhood, I bounced between rural areas and suburbs. My experiences in life are not the same, but I still found myself relating deeply to Bom. The rural aspects of Bom's life in Vietnam, the multitude of cousins to play with, climbing trees, and picking fruit to eat, those poems brought back a lot of sweet and happy memories of my childhood on my grandparent's farm. I grew up living mostly in a trailer as well, so the variety and spectrum of people that Bom describes was so accurate. The sirens, the weird, different people coming and going and staying shut in their house. It felt so very familiar to my own life. Bom's shyness and her determination to write and express herself through writing. I saw myself in her, as a child, just writing to escape the cruelty of relentless bullying and teasing. Super Phuong was such a fun character, reminding me of my own heroes that I'd create when I was little.
This story is such a love letter to family and to telling your story. I LOVE that it gives this from an immigrant, Vietnamese lens, because we don't often get to see that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a heartwarming story about a girl just trying to find her way in a new country, and trying to get her sister to remember the life they lived before they made it to America.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
°hearourvoicestour°
A Two-Placed Heart by Doan-Phuong Nguyen Lee follows twelve-year-old Bom as she navigates the complexities of cultural identity and sisterhood. Bom writes a poetic memoir to help her and her sister remember their Vietnamese heritage amidst their new life in America. This heartfelt story captures the essence of family, memory, and the struggle to hold onto one's roots.
This book is beautifully written in verse. I loved how short they were and how every sentence had utmost importance that you can't miss anything.
It has a great concept and is perfect for people of every culture and resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt caught between two worlds. It talks about how not to forget our heritage and not let others affect us.
The heavy topic was handled with utmost care and I loved how this was a fictional memoir of the author's own life. It was emotional and natural. The lyrical prose and vivid imagery make Bom's journey both touching and relatable. Nguyen's ability to convey the emotional turmoil of growing up in a new country while trying to preserve one's cultural identity is truly remarkable.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy stories about family, cultural identity, and the immigrant experience.
A Two-Placed Heart by Doan-Phuong Nguyen Lee follows twelve-year-old Bom as she navigates the complexities of cultural identity and sisterhood. Bom writes a poetic memoir to help her and her sister remember their Vietnamese heritage amidst their new life in America. This heartfelt story captures the essence of family, memory, and the struggle to hold onto one's roots.
This book is beautifully written in verse. I loved how short they were and how every sentence had utmost importance that you can't miss anything.
It has a great concept and is perfect for people of every culture and resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt caught between two worlds. It talks about how not to forget our heritage and not let others affect us.
The heavy topic was handled with utmost care and I loved how this was a fictional memoir of the author's own life. It was emotional and natural. The lyrical prose and vivid imagery make Bom's journey both touching and relatable. Nguyen's ability to convey the emotional turmoil of growing up in a new country while trying to preserve one's cultural identity is truly remarkable.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy stories about family, cultural identity, and the immigrant experience.
“I put a new page into the typewriter,
keep typing,
wanting to remember,
needing to understand
who I have
become.”
This is such a wonderful, relatable and resonant read! I love the rich family history and how it’s celebrated, as well as Bom’s urgent need to document and memorialize this—not just for her sister, but herself. The epistolary structure with the address to the sister is so powerful. The verse structure works well for the content, though minor line-level choices like line breaks threw me out at times. The book touches on lots of different kinds of Vietnamese experiences—and the story on adoption and erasure of a home culture was particularly compelling and haunting. This book speaks to every kid who has multiple cultures or countries in them, the struggles and the joys, and the proud heritage they come from. It captures the universal struggles of belonging, figuring out one’s identity, and how to have a heart in two places at once. A highly recommended read!
keep typing,
wanting to remember,
needing to understand
who I have
become.”
This is such a wonderful, relatable and resonant read! I love the rich family history and how it’s celebrated, as well as Bom’s urgent need to document and memorialize this—not just for her sister, but herself. The epistolary structure with the address to the sister is so powerful. The verse structure works well for the content, though minor line-level choices like line breaks threw me out at times. The book touches on lots of different kinds of Vietnamese experiences—and the story on adoption and erasure of a home culture was particularly compelling and haunting. This book speaks to every kid who has multiple cultures or countries in them, the struggles and the joys, and the proud heritage they come from. It captures the universal struggles of belonging, figuring out one’s identity, and how to have a heart in two places at once. A highly recommended read!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I love novels in verse, particularly for middle grade novels. This memoir in verse grapples with the complexity of identity when you are “of two countries”, and your feet are “planted here and there”. There’s no easy answer, nor is it as simple as checking a box (or two). The author vividly portrays the emotions that come with the main character’s experience of life in Vietnam, fleeing to the US, and adjusting to life in a new country while still holding her identity as Vietnamese, even as she watches her sister become more “American”.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
This was a heartwarming story, written and full of beautiful verses, about twelve-year-old Bom who helps her younger sister remember her Vietnamese roots. This was all about sisterhood and the importance of identity. I loved how Bom did everything she could for her and her sister to maintain a connection to Vietnam. Another great read from this author!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This middle grade book in verse is about Bom, a girl who moves to the US from Vietnam. She struggles with losing the family, memories and language of her home country, while also trying her best to fit in with her new American peers. She is upset that her younger sister has no problem identifying as “100% American”. Being based on the author’s life, the observations and emotions are vivid and honest. (Gotta wonder how her sister felt about repeatedly being described as the devil!) I loved Bom’s stories of learning from Pat and Miss Helen, the kind Americans who help her family get established in Nashville (The author’s note at the end about them was so touching). What I appreciated most was the complexity of the story. Many times books for young readers resolve all conflict and show a big emotional resolution, but this one does not attempt to do that. We’re just left knowing that Bom will continue to write and reflect on her story.
While the MC is in elementary school, some of the parts about their family’s story in Vietnam feel especially complex and perhaps confusing for an upper elementary audience who probably have not learned anything about the Vietnam war. I think it is good for age 11+ who can look up more info.
While the MC is in elementary school, some of the parts about their family’s story in Vietnam feel especially complex and perhaps confusing for an upper elementary audience who probably have not learned anything about the Vietnam war. I think it is good for age 11+ who can look up more info.
A Two-Placed Heart joins a collection of children’s books that mean a lot to me as a Vietnamese American. Growing up, I never saw my experiences in books, and it warms my heart that this generation of youth can read so many diverse stories about immigration, acculturation, discrimination, and balancing multiple cultural identities.