Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
Written is spare but piercing verse, this is the story of 10-year-old Ha's life-altering experience emigrating from war-torn Saigon to rural Alabama in 1975. With a father missing in action since she was a baby, Ha's tight-knit family is her mother and three brothers. Just before the historic fall of Saigon, the family decides to flee, each child allowed only one precious possession. A harrowing journey by boat, filled with disaster, takes them to a refugee camp in Guam, and from there, to Alabama. Desperately missing her papaya tree, best friend, and the liveliness of Saigon, Ha finds the transition to an American elementary school difficult. Ha is used to being one of the smartest in her class at home, but her teachers mistake her lack of English for ignorance. Tormented by classmates, Ha struggles to find a place for herself in an alien world. Her first year in America has a steep learning curve, and is just the beginning of a new life. Based on the author's own life, this is the winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
- Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fiction + Literature Themes
- Subgenre: Types of Characters, Literary Genres + Types of Novels, Historical / United States / 20th Century
- Age: 9-12 years
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Pages: 262
- Language: English
- Format: hardcover
- Release Date: February 22, 2011
- Date Published: February 22, 2011
- Author: Thanhha Lai