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A review by bookedupandbusy
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
4.0
Initially set in Vietnam, we follow Anh and her two brothers Minh & Thanh as they flee Vietnam at young age, to travel by boat to America in hope that their parents and four other siblings will arrive shortly thereafter. They end up in Britain and we follow them through refugee camps and resettlement centres.
The story goes straight in with the tragedy and the challenges immigrants experience to make it to America by sea, which are both heartbreaking and eye opening. The author does a superb job in detailing the sibling dynamics and the new responsibilities which Anh faces in becoming a motherly figure to her younger brothers.
I loved how the author incorporated true historical events into the story, a great reminder of how real these incidences can be.
The first half of the story felt very traumatic, however the second half was filled with hope and progression as we see the siblings settle into life in the UK.
The second half felt frustrating at times. The author touched on very important themes but the narratives felt incomplete and left many unanswered questions. I wanted to know how Anh felt as a Vietnamese woman in her relationships. I wanted to know if her brother was involved in any illegal activity as incited. It would have been great to know in depth the feelings of those who remained in Vietnam and how they truly felt about those who fled.
Apart from that this is a great debut and I will definitely read more from this author.
The story goes straight in with the tragedy and the challenges immigrants experience to make it to America by sea, which are both heartbreaking and eye opening. The author does a superb job in detailing the sibling dynamics and the new responsibilities which Anh faces in becoming a motherly figure to her younger brothers.
I loved how the author incorporated true historical events into the story, a great reminder of how real these incidences can be.
The first half of the story felt very traumatic, however the second half was filled with hope and progression as we see the siblings settle into life in the UK.
The second half felt frustrating at times. The author touched on very important themes but the narratives felt incomplete and left many unanswered questions. I wanted to know how Anh felt as a Vietnamese woman in her relationships. I wanted to know if her brother was involved in any illegal activity as incited. It would have been great to know in depth the feelings of those who remained in Vietnam and how they truly felt about those who fled.
Apart from that this is a great debut and I will definitely read more from this author.