One Step at a Time

Vietnamese Refugee narratives #2

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

An affecting sequel to Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War. Tuyet cannot believe her good fortune. Brought up in a Vietnamese orphanage and rescued from the invading North Vietnamese army, she has been adopted by a kind and loving family in Canada. Tuyet feels safe at last as she adjusts to a new language and unfamiliar customs. But polio has left her with a weak leg, and her foot is turned inward, making walking painful and difficult. There is only one answer; she must have a series of operations. Her dread of doctors and hospitals brings back troubling memories of helicopters, a field hospital, and another operation in Vietnam. It won't stop Tuyet, despite her fears and her overwhelming shyness. She has always dreamed of having two straight legs, of walking and running, of playing with other children, of owning a pair of shoes that actually match. Now that she has been given a chance, Tuyet is determined to do what it takes to finally stand on her own two feet.

Genres: Adoption, Nonfiction, Biography, Family, Cultural, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

Marsha Skrypuch is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose books span a century of wars from a kid’s view, concentrating on those stories that have been erased by oppressive regimes. Her best-known book is Making Bombs for Hitler. Her most recent is the Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. She has received death threats and honors for her writing. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and you can visit her online at calla.com

Reviews

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

really interesting

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that my 5th graders fully liked this year. It's short, easy to grasp, and has a positive ending. The storytelling enables the reader to empathize with Tuyet, a Vietnamese girl who was crippled with polio and then got burned by a bomb during the war. Unable to handle her situation, Tuyet's mother dropped her off at an orphanage. All this is background for the story in this book, which covers Tuyet's happy life in a Canadian family that's a mix of natural born children and adopted children. We see Tuyet have a surgery to help her walk again, experience her first birthday party, and get treated nicely by pretty much everyone she meets.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tuyet was born in Vietnam and raised in an orphanage until a family in the US adopts her. Tuyet was stricken with polio which has left her leg weak and her foot twisted. She needs to have a series of operations to help her walk again and this is her story. Tuyet doesn’t speak English and is very scared about what is happening, but her parents find people to translate for her to help her along until she learns English. This is a story of bravery, love, and courage.

[Erin McKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping in mind that this is a book for pre-teens, this book gives the reader insight as to what it is like to be newly adopted in Canada, while facing the trials and tribulations of having lived with and then received medical attention for a physical disability that resulted from polio.
I might have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first book (Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War) first.

[Zer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A harrowing story about a young girl who lived and survived the Vietnam War. The story depicts her journey in America with adoptive parents whose love is so inspiring. A recommendation for all. The message is so powerful. I wanted to know more about the background of her Vietnamese family to see their struggles and she how it shaped her before being adopted. Understanding her history and background can reveal who she may or have become.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. A family that has adopted a little girl that didn't speak English. They taught her a few English words, showed her how to blow out candles on a birthday cake, and that she doesn't need to be afraid. This family has learned what it really means to be a family. It doesn't matter where you come from, all that matters is having each other.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warming story of a families acceptance. True.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast easy read that tells the story of a young Vietnamese girl finding her way in her new life with her new family in Canada.

[kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening true story. My major issue is how this story is told in a way where it subtly pushes that in order to live a better life you must leave Vietnam and I hope that the main takeaway people have is the importance of helping those in order to be kind without ulterior motives.

[Stacey Socholotuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book about Tuyet was as beautifully written as the first. In this title, we learn more about her life adjusting to her new family and home, as well as her surgeries for her leg. I would love to hear more about this young girl and her life.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been rescued as the North Vietnamese invaded her country, Tuyet has been adopted by a Canadian family. As she struggles to believe her good fortune and adjust to her new home and language, Tuyet also deals with the consequences of polio. This book, a sequel to Last Airlift, describes her surgery, the months of physical therapy, and the braces she wears to allow her to walk smoothly as well as be able to join other youngsters in play. There are several tender scenes that reveal her desire to wear colorful shoes that match and her fear of the unfamiliar while in the hospital. Still, she is sustained by her own courage and the certainty of her new family's love. While I liked the book and kept my fingers crossed for a happy ending, it might be hard for young readers who haven't read the other book to understand all that Tuyet had endured. The brief flashbacks help, but they may not be enough. The book contains photographs of the Morris family, complete with their four children.

[Penny Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight but memorable look at a Vietnamese girl, adopted by Canadians, and her treatment for polio. The brief nonfiction book is almost a memoir but written by a journalist who interviewed Tuyet. This is an additional episode in the life of the main focus of Last Airlift, by the same author and focusing on the same Vietnamese girl, concerning her rescue from the war and later adoption. Probably only of interest to those who have read the first book.