Book talk

C

Many are worried about the piles of people who are piling onto the boat, but no one is heartless enough to stop them. Only one of Kim’s brothers speaks English, but they pick America as their destination and eventually find a sponsor in Alabama, after leaving everything they loved behind.

B

So the family leaves, and they find themselves trapped at sea awaiting rescue, with a boat full of more people than there should be. Kim struggles with leaving her home, and is homesick throughout the  journey.

A

It's 1975 in Saigon, and 10-year-old Kim Hà is living during the Vietnam war with her Mom and 3 brothers. On the eve of the fall of Saigon, the family decides they must escape their home via boat.

E

On top of everything else, Kim is still holding on to hope that her father is alive after not returning from a mission in the navy, and she hopes that he will eventually come find them in America, although the rest of the family is doubtful on his survival.

D

Even amid the heartbreak, the narrative is shot through with humor. Hà misunderstands much about her new home: In a school full of strangers and bullies, she struggles to learn a language full of sharp words and must accept that she can no longer be at the head of her class…for now.

Book talk

It's 1975 in Saigon, and 10-year-old Kim Hà is living during the Vietnam war with her Mom and 3 brothers. On the eve of the fall of Saigon, the family decides they must escape their home via boat. So the family leaves, and they find themselves trapped at sea awaiting rescue, with a boat full of more people than there should be. Kim struggles with leaving her home, and is homesick throughout the  journey. Many are worried about the piles of people who are piling onto the boat, but no one is heartless enough to stop them. Only one of Kim’s brothers speaks English, but they pick America as their destination and eventually find a sponsor in Alabama, after leaving everything they loved behind. Even amid the heartbreak, the narrative is shot through with humor. Hà misunderstands much about her new home: In a school full of strangers and bullies, she struggles to learn a language full of sharp words and must accept that she can no longer be at the head of her class…for now. On top of everything else, Kim is still holding on to hope that her father is alive after not returning from a mission in the navy, and she hopes that he will eventually come find them in America, although the rest of the family is doubtful on his survival.