What do you think?
Rate this book
12 Elephants and a Dragon: A Memoir of Survival and the Kindness of Strangers
"An uplifting page-turner," and "A story you must read."
The stories we’re told about the Vietnam War tend to focus on the soldiers who fought it. But what about the ordinary people who lived through it? How did the war and its aftermath affect the course their lives would take? What risks would they have to take to build a new life?
12 Elephants and a Dragon isn’t just another book on Vietnam War history. It’s the story of one family’s life after the war had ended. Vi Tu Banh, then still a child, and his family left their home country in a dangerously overcrowded and dilapidated boat, had to fend for themselves on Air Raya in Indonesia, and then made the journey from the Galang refugee camp to a new life in a house on a hilltop among the snowy fields outside Uxbridge, Ontario. They learned, one day at a time, how to build a new life in Canada.
Their story is one of struggle and strength, highlighting the profound effect that the kindness of others can have on a person’s life. It speaks of gratitude and illustrates how each of us have the power to contribute to changing the world for the better.
This exceptional memoir reminds us that there are many nuances to the issue of emigration and immigration. After escaping Vietnam, Vi Tu’s refugee family relied on charity and being sponsored by complete strangers to come to the safety of Canada. They then worked hard not only to survive, but on building a new life, and to help contribute and give back to the country that welcomed Once they were Vietnamese boat people, but they became the new Canadians who have been helping to build the country that adopted them.
Today, Dr. Vi Tu Banh is an optometrist, providing comprehensive eye care to the residents of Uxbridge, Ontario and the surrounding areas, with a special interest in providing vision therapy to patients with concussion-like symptoms and visual-related learning problems. His work is a powerful piece of healing from trauma.
The stories we’re told about the Vietnam War tend to focus on the soldiers who fought it. But what about the ordinary people who lived through it? How did the war and its aftermath affect the course their lives would take? What risks would they have to take to build a new life?
12 Elephants and a Dragon isn’t just another book on Vietnam War history. It’s the story of one family’s life after the war had ended. Vi Tu Banh, then still a child, and his family left their home country in a dangerously overcrowded and dilapidated boat, had to fend for themselves on Air Raya in Indonesia, and then made the journey from the Galang refugee camp to a new life in a house on a hilltop among the snowy fields outside Uxbridge, Ontario. They learned, one day at a time, how to build a new life in Canada.
Their story is one of struggle and strength, highlighting the profound effect that the kindness of others can have on a person’s life. It speaks of gratitude and illustrates how each of us have the power to contribute to changing the world for the better.
This exceptional memoir reminds us that there are many nuances to the issue of emigration and immigration. After escaping Vietnam, Vi Tu’s refugee family relied on charity and being sponsored by complete strangers to come to the safety of Canada. They then worked hard not only to survive, but on building a new life, and to help contribute and give back to the country that welcomed Once they were Vietnamese boat people, but they became the new Canadians who have been helping to build the country that adopted them.
Today, Dr. Vi Tu Banh is an optometrist, providing comprehensive eye care to the residents of Uxbridge, Ontario and the surrounding areas, with a special interest in providing vision therapy to patients with concussion-like symptoms and visual-related learning problems. His work is a powerful piece of healing from trauma.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2024
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2025
Inspirational! Makes you believe that all things are possible.
November 28, 2024
inspiring when I needed it most
I started this as a recommendation from a friend and realized shortly that it had everything I needed at the moment to help me on my journey. It makes me reflect what I would have done in a similar situation. It makes me grateful to never have endured such hardships. It makes me ponder how to help the many people facing deportation in the us right now. So much contemplation.
I started this as a recommendation from a friend and realized shortly that it had everything I needed at the moment to help me on my journey. It makes me reflect what I would have done in a similar situation. It makes me grateful to never have endured such hardships. It makes me ponder how to help the many people facing deportation in the us right now. So much contemplation.
November 28, 2025
This is a great story of how an immigrant became a huge component in a small town. While many people are raving about the book, I just couldn't seem to picture the voice telling the story. There was part of it that seemed to fall flat. Purchased to support the author who lives in my community. My Mum read the book also and would give it a five star rating.
January 26, 2025
A thought-provoking book with a challenge to all - if everyone spreads goodness and kindness to 12 people, the entire world can be reached and changed. I recommend this book to everyone (especially optometrists!)
December 14, 2024
Worth the read and worth listening to Dr Vi Tu speak.
Happy reading. 📖 📚 🫖 🐈
Happy reading. 📖 📚 🫖 🐈
June 28, 2025
very good read about one family's escape from Vietnam and sponsorship to Uxbridge, Ontario.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews