Across the Mekong River

by Elaine Russell

In a California courtroom, seventeen-year-old Nou Lee reels with what she is about to do. What she must do to survive. She reflects on the splintered path that led to this moment, beginning twelve years ago in 1978, when her Hmong family escaped from Laos after the Communist takeover. The story follows the Lees from a squalid refugee camp in Thailand to a new life in Minnesota and eventually California. Family members struggle to survive in a strange foreign land, haunted by the scars of war and loss of family. Across the Mekong River paints a vivid picture of the Hmong immigrant experience, exploring family love, sacrifice, and the resiliency of the human spirit to overcome tragic circumstances

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Asia, Contemporary, Historical, Cultural, Ebooks

262 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2004

About the author

I am the author of three historical novels and six children's book, which have won numerous awards. Writing is a journey that takes me down many unexpected paths. When I begin a new novel, it feels like some of my characters and their unexpected personalities soon take over. Equally enjoyable as the writing, is the research I do for my books (I have a BA in history). I'm always finding fascinating events or facts that help shape the story. My love of travel and history have contributed significantly to my writing, as I enjoy weaving in the culture and past of other countries into my stories.
My latest historical novel, "When the Tamarind Tree Blooms," (April 2024) is about a young métisse, half-Lao/half-French, in 1931 French colonial Laos, trying to determine where she belongs in the deeply divided French and Lao societies, where neither group readily accepts her mixed heritage. I am also the author of the historical novels "In the Company of Like-Minded Women" (2018) and "Across the Mekong River" (2012) -- now available in a French, "De l'autre côté du Mékong."
My children’s works include two picture books, "All About Thailand" (2016) and "Thai Celebrations for Children," (2022) with Tuttle Publishing. I am also the author of the middle grade Martin McMillan mystery/adventure series, which features skateboarding heroes Martin and Isabel: "The Lost Inca City," "The Secret of the Ruby Elephant," and "The Sacred Stones". And finally, my young adult novel, “Montana in A Minor,” stems from my passion for music, an interest in the complexities of modern family life, and a belief that everyone appreciates a good love story!
I was born in San Francisco and raised on the peninsula. I attended the University of California at Davis where I earned a bachelor’s degree in history, then California State University Sacramento for a master’s degree in economics. I always wanted to write, but came to it somewhat late in life. I live with my husband in Sacramento, California.

Reviews

[Helen Sedwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the opening scene of the family escaping through the Laos jungle in the middle of the night, through the cold winters in Minnesota, and to the windowless courtroom in Sacramento, this novel hooked me. It follows the Lee family, part of the Hmong ethnic group in Laos which aided the US in the Vietnam War, then paid a heavy price after the war. The Lees risk everything to escape to Thailand, and they lose loved ones in the process. After years in the squalor of refugee camps, they are sponsored and immigrate to the US only to face the struggles of starting over in a new world and a new language. But the most compelling part of the story is the tension between the parents' attempt to hold onto old traditions while the oldest daughter becomes more American. Told with compassion and understanding from alternating points of view of the father, the mother and the daughter, this book captures the immigrant experience in an honest and compelling way. This would be a good book group read because the different points of view provide a lot of discussion.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAPTIVATING AND COMPELLING. A SPECIAL READ.

”Truth is an illusion. It is only something we create from memories and wishes and fragments of dreams.”—location 64

From the losing side in war-torn Laos, through refugee camps in Thailand, to the slums of American cities, to the agonies of shifting cultural identities; with incredible violence, loss, tragedy and suffering—the ancestors must have really been pissed at the Hmong people, in the closing decades of the 20th century. Even in these modern times, life can still be so terribly hard and cruel for some. I just can’t imagine it getting much harder, or more cruel, than this.

From its opening lines, to the last sentence, Across the Mekong River: A Novel, by Elaine Russell is a captivating, compelling, heart-wrenching, beautifully told, very special story. Very hard to put down. Impossible to put away.

Recommendation: An excellent choice for students, book clubs, and for all who enjoy historical fiction, immigrant experience stories, and tales about the hardships of adapting to dissimilar cultures.

Read also: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman

”My parents lost their relatives and friends, their village and homeland, now bit by bit America is tearing away their Hmong existence, luring their children down another path.” —page 226

Kindle edition, 243 pages

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Across the Mekong River, Russell follows the journey of a Hmong family as they escape the war in Laos and build a new life in the United States. After fighting in the Hmong Special Forces alongside American troops in the Vietnam War, Pao becomes a target for the communist regime that comes to power after the war ends. After years in a prison camp, Pao, his wife Yer, and their children Fong, Fue and Nou escape with the rest of their extended family, traversing perilous jungle mountains in their attempt to reach the Thai border, which lies across the Mekong river. Losing many family members along the way, Pao and his family must come to terms with their loss and find a way to move forward. Although the decision to give up on returning to their homeland in Laos is contentious and difficult, Pao eventually moves him family to America, first living in Minneapolis and then in the Sacramento valley. The family battles prejudice and fear as they attempt to preserve their traditions while embracing the new life they are living in the U.S. The transition is especially difficult for Nou, who longs to fit in with her American peers even as she is forced to bear the burden of family and tradition in her home. In a dramatic and surprising series of events, Nou and her family are forced to confront their differences and the strain that this new life has placed on them, and must choose between their family traditions and the life Nou has come to desire for herself.





This story is powerful, the turmoil of the characters shining through the simplistic and direct prose. Through Russell’s expert depiction, we gain deep insight into the psyche of a family struggling to move forward while still holding onto a past that feels more real than the present. The struggles of the parents are illuminated in all their complexity even as the tribulations of their teenage children are thrust to the fore. The web of obligation and love that weaves the family members together becomes convoluted, and yet never loses its relatability. The ending is both surprising and heart-wrenching, and leaves the reader with an intense understanding of the difficult choices that immigrants face when adapting to a new life in the United States, especially when they were forced to leave their homeland by necessity rather than by choice.

This book is easy to read, and the accessible writing makes the complex subject that much more difficult to ignore or misinterpret. One is forced to confront the difficulties of this Hmong family as if they were one’s own—a difficult thing to do when writing about a culture not your own. Even given her apparently vast knowledge of Hmong culture and history, I am still surprised and the strength and depth with which Russell was able to write from a Hmong perspective. While I would usually see this kind of writing as presumptuous, Russell writes with such obvious sensitivity and respect that her lack of first-person experience with the subject becomes less problematic.



All that being said, part of the reason this book is so good is because Russell was able to take liberties with her story that would not be possible in non-fiction writing. Such is the beauty of fiction, but readers must be careful not to take this text as representative of lived Hmong experience. I would recommend reading this book as a companion to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, a nonfiction exploration of Hmong life in America based on a real Hmong community in California.

UPDATE: After I wrote this review, Russell commented that, while the book is fictional, she based the events and characters on real Hmong people she had spoken with or interviewed. In light of this news, I am even more impressed that she was able to weave together such a seamless story from many different accounts. This kind of fictional-yet-anthropological writing takes skill and is a wonderful way to bring a story to life--no wonder the characters feel so real!

--Elise Hadden, Under the Heather Books (www.undertheheatherbooks.com)

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Across the Mekong River follows the Hmong family on their turbulent journey from the newly Communist controlled Laos eventually leading them to California. The viewpoint of the book switches between Nou Lee or Lisa, the main character, and her parents Pao and Yer.

Pao was a freedom fighter during the early stages of the conflict in Laos, fighting so his family's lifestyle can remain the same that it has always been. When the American's withdraw their support from the Special Forces in country the Communists come after them with a vengeance in order to remove any local resistance before it has a chance to organize. This begins a very difficult time in the life of their family as they must escape the country without being captured and killed.

This book appealed to me due to my interest in the conflicts that America was involved with during the time this book takes place. I have read many books about the American Special Forces and the jungle warfare that they were involved in, but this is the first one I've read that deals with the lives of the people who were forgotten in all of the conflict. I never really thought about the difficulties that the people who were forced to flee to a new country, trying to remain true to their roots while surviving in a land that doesn't understand them.

This book did an excellent job touching on the emotional journey of the various members of the family with the old guard trying to stay as true as possible to their roots and Lisa/Nou Lee trying to fit in at her school. I was a bit hesitant about this book since it's pretty far from the norm for me, but I find myself saying that a lot lately and always enjoying myself when I venture into new areas. This book will not disappoint anyone who wants to give it a shot and I highly recommend it.

[wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads book that I am really happy I won. The book traces the lives of an extended family of Hmong refugees as they escape persecution in Laos as they escape to Thailand and later to the United States ending up in California. It is told from the points of view of the father, mother and eldest daughter in the family. There are trials, struggles and triumphs. What I liked best about the book is the very realistic portrayal of the characters and I really loved the ended because the author does not succumb to picking the obvious way to go - which is much more real to life. I loved the book and would recommend it for book clubs.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a a really great book. It follows a family fleeing war in Laos and making a new life in America and all the challenges that brings. Particularly challenging for the kids who have to fit in to American school life while balancing the traditions and expectations of their parents. Really enjoyable read and learn about another culture.

[Harvee Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book impressively tackles the history of the Hmong refugee experience in the United States, which they helped during the war in Laos. The novel also candidly discusses the problems of adjustment to a new language and culture and to the younger generation growing up more Western than the older generation knew how to handle.

The book is valuable for its historical detail of the Hmong population, their war experiences, and their journey to other countries during the Pathet Lao takeover in Laos.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sent to me from goodreads giveaway.

Very touching story of a young Hmong girl and her struggle with family customs and her desire to embrace a new life in America. Well written with excerpts of the history of the Hmong struggle in Laos and Thailand. Ever believable and captivating, this is a book well worth reading, especially if you are interested in learning more about the Hmong culture.

[Glee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, many echoes of "The Spirit Catches You, and You Fall Down". Does a good job of conveying the horrors faced by the Hmong in escaping Laos, and the equally difficult journey through the refugee camps, and then trying to assimilate into American culture, which is equally heartbreaking, but in a very different way.

There are multiple points of view - a father, mother and their daughter - which is important because of the very different impacts on each of their lives.

[Sherri Beazley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not based on a true family story, this book does depict what it must have been like for the south Vietnamese struggling to survive and escape communism. It was also a very good example of what it must have been like for the Vietnamese people to make it to the USA and have such a huge cultural difference to deal with, the youth finding it way easier than their older relatives. This book was very enjoyable for me.

[Julia Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Across the Mekong River is a moving account of one Hmong family braving war, persecution, and trauma to find a new life in the U.S.Through the eyes of each family member, Elaine Russell brilliantly spins each story strand seamlessly into a deeply personal, and yet universal portrait of the immigrant experience of leaving one's homeland to begin anew in a strange and foreign culture.

[Gail Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story. Difficult though,watching the struggles faced by immigrants, trying to assimilate to a new life, while desperately trying to preserve their old traditions.

[Arlis Groves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was slow to give this story a chance, because I read it alongside at least two other books. It drew me in, though, and soon I was focusing solely on this story of a Hmong family who, escaping war and poverty in Laos and then the refugee camps in Thailand, came to the United States to begin a new life. Told from the perspectives of daughter, Nou, father, Pao, and mother, Yer, we follow the complex struggles of fitting Hmong culture into U.S. norms. Russell develops each of these characters by providing background and history so that we can see what shaped and influenced them, making it impossible to root for one and not the other. Russell begins with her characters in a court room, where it seems that Nou and her parents are on opposing sides of a legal case. This scene recurs and develops intermittantly, and it wasn't until very near the end of the story that I began to understand what led this family to be in court, seemingly pitted against one another. If you, like me, like some of your novels to have "happy" endings, don't be afraid to get to know the Lee family. There is heartbreak aplenty, but Russell lets us glimpse the future and see how this family comes to terms with their differences and begins to heal.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very well written. The descriptions draw you into the scenes, whether they are narratives of past events and locations or current activities and relationships. The story surrounds the struggle from escaping war torn Loas to living in a squalid refugee camp to arriving in America and making a new life. Clearly some characters are better able to cope and adjust than others, but that too comes with a price. Books such as this should be required reading in today's schools as these stories are not always told but are rather hidden in an attempt to fit in. But without the telling of these stories everyone loses the opportunity to create understanding and empathy. A good learning experience awaits anyone who wishes to read this book.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an insight into the lives of people who find themselves living in terrible times. This story centres on a Hmong family escaping persecution post Vietnam war. They cross the Mekong and have to deal with terrible losses and then they live in internment camps in Thailand before emigrating to the US. Then there is the fracturing of their cultural lives in their new environment and the fact that children who don't know or remember the life in Laos are at odds with the old ways. Plenty of interesting material. The characters did seem a little two dimensional though and the narrative technique of using different voices did not always work to create the individual's thoughts and feelings in a thoroughly convincing way.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at a culture that I have read about only in relation to war. This story speaks of the violence, tragedy and hardship caused by outside countries entering and destroying natives, their culture and future to gain power, enrichment and dominance. It is the story of families forced from their Laotian homes into refugee camps and finally to America. A land where nothing is familiar culturally and the struggle of elders to maintain their old Hmong ways while young folks struggle to fit in to their American life.

The author’s knowledge and depth of Laotian culture, mores, food, struggles and pain enabled me to read this book as though it was written by someone who grew up in that area of the world.

Highly recommend!

[Annemarie Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got slightly confused, I grasped the concept of chapters having a perspective of a different person Father Pao, Mother Yer or Daughter Nou/Laura but the family had a member with the same name (Yer) and there were times when it was not obvious which ‘Yer’ the person was referring to, in dialogue as well as description.

Although it is a piece of fiction that drew upon testimonials and other works, the first part about the family getting to America was really gripping and gritty, there after it dropped off, more was assumed and implied which let the tale down. There was an element of predictability in the second half of the book, which continued to the end.

[Nancy Harman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book that should be read by everyone who has ever thought that immigrants should make more effort to follow 'our' customs. Written from different people's viewpoints, it shows how families need to stay together is harder on some than others. It explores the feelings of youngsters whose first need is to fit in, and how this conflicts with deep seated family loyalties. I loved it.

[ChillwithabookAWARD With · Rating 5 out of 5]

Across the Mekong River by Elaine Russell has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award.
www.chillwithabook.com

"Very descriptive of the different cultures she was put through."

"Compelling. Would certainly read more from this author."

"An absolutely beautiful novel excellently written. Even though I had to have a reading break after each chapter (to stop my tears) I finished it within 2 days."

Pauline Barclay
Founder of Chill with a Book Awards

[Akshat Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written historical fiction about the Hmong community in Laos. Learnt a lot about their customs and felt like the characters were built up very well. Felt like I could understand the difficulties of immigrant and refugee life from multiple perspectives - parents trying to hold on to their culture and children trying to manage merging two opposing lifestyles.

[Alicia M. Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

'The parts set in Laos are the most gripping, with excellent suspense and compelling characters.'

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn’t get into it. Stopped reading

[Sreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, about
Hmong family shifting to America.

[MsSwisis · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘It seemed so near we could almost touch it. Just across the Mekong River.’

[Leonie Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I read this boom whilst on holidays in Vietnam and after visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and the war museum.

The book got me in straight away and kept me wanting to read more.

[sandra vidot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read and beautifully written about a family that relocated from Cambodia to the U.S, escaping communism take over in Cambodia for a better life and opportunities. I was disappointed to read at the end that the account of the trials and tribulations the family faced in the US were for the most part, fictional.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This novel follows a Hmong family from Laos, to Thailand, to Minneapolis, to Sacramento. The novel illustrates the difficulties involved in being an immigrant in the United States and the stresses that arise from straddling two cultures. Chapters are told from the points of view of different family members, two of whom have the same name, which is slightly confusing. Overall a good book and a recommended read. However, the pace seemed too slow and I didn't really care about the main character until the second half of the book.

[MissIris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a story about families and traditions as well as parents and children. Parents who think and worry that their children are not listening only to find out they were present all along the journey. It’s a heartwarming journey readers will find themselves engrossed in, “Across The Mekong River” by Elaine Russell.
It starts out with the Ly family, a farming family, descendants of the Hmong tribe of Laos planning their escape from the communist regime, the Pathet Lao, in Laos in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The regime is targeting American sympathizers and supporters of the American involvement in the Vietnam War and the use of Special Forces in Southern Laos. Pao, the father, was a soldier in the Special Forces and fears for his life and that of his extended family and attempts to flee Laos with his family across the Mekong River into Thailand to obtain refugee status and eventually emigrate to the United States. Here is where the journey begins to preserve their Hmong culture, honor and come to terms with the past in order to make a way forward for themselves and their children.
Nou is the eldest daughter of Pao and Yer to make the journey. She is the one to witness the triumphs and tragedies through their celebrations and mourning .Her parents are constantly concerned that she will be lost to a new culture and generation. When Nou finally steps out on her own she will make a decision that will change their perception of everything. What she does makes Pao and Yer question, did they make the right decision to leave Laos.
This is for anyone like me who is fascinated by Laos and its people, but not quite sure how they were caught up in the crossfire of the Vietnam War. This story will help to put it all into perspective in an enjoyable read.This book will keep you turning the pages well into the night. It keeps your attention and doesn’t stray from the path. I was especially fascinated by the transformation of Yer whom the author not only made into a strong female character but a strong and resilient Mom. The author’s strong correlation throughout the book between the family’s farming skills, especially Mai’s connection to cultivating fruits and vegetables and the soil, and the manner in which they raised their children is prophetic. I only gave it 4 stars because I was disturbed by the author’s portrayal of what she refers to as “the blacks” in the story. She said she did extensive research for this book communicating with Hmong descendants here in the US so maybe her account is authentic but exaggerated for effect. However read “Across the Mekong River” by Elaine Russell you’ll draw your own conclusions.

[Lynn G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across the Mekong River was an excellent book. I received a copy from goodreads.com First Reads. I debated whether to give the book 4 or five stars and chose four because I found that the voice of some of the characters felt stilted, flat, not quite three-demensional. The description of the Hmong peoples,their culture, traditions, the hell that they went through after the fall of Laos to the Pathet Lao, and the eventual immigration by thousands to the west (the U.S. in particular) was spot on. The difficulties experienced by the new residents in America were impoverishment, racial hatred in their new communities, traditions so very different then their own, and an incomprhensible culture. The Mekong River is both a physical boundary between two countries, as well as the symbolic boundary between the past and the present; the old ways and new; traditional roles of men and women; subservience and freedom.

In Across the Mekong River the reader follows an Hmong extended family that suffers much, including the deaths of precious family members, while fleeing Laos as the country falls to the communist Pathet Lao. They must cross the monsoon swollen Mekong River to get to Thailand on the other side. Once there they live for several years in horrendously overcrowded refugee camps, barely subsisiting, while waiting to find sponsorship in order to move to America. Once settled in Minneapolis they find an extraordinarily difficult life in a climate and culture that is frightening, incomprehensible, and lacking any similarities to a world that is lost to them. The three principal characters, Pao, the father; Yer, the mother; and Nou, their daughter, respond in different ways to their new situation with unexpected results. I thought that the story was especially resonant in the final quarter of the book.

I can highly recommend Across the Mekong River to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of that time in our history.