From Broken to Brave: Memoir of a Heart Warrior

by Amy M. Le

"Every Vietnamese person has stories to share, but Amy M. Le's story is both deeply personal and universally inspiring. From surviving unimaginable hardships to building a legacy that uplifts others, her journey reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to keep moving forward." —Le Ly Hayslip, Author of When Heaven and Earth Changed Places

What if your deepest wounds could become your greatest source of strength?

In From Broken to Brave, this raw and unflinching memoir traces one woman’s journey through pain, loss, and self-doubt—and her courageous path toward healing, purpose, and reclaiming her voice. From moments of quiet despair to powerful breakthroughs, her story reveals what it truly means to rise when life has tried to break you.

With honesty and heart, this book explores the complexities of trauma, resilience, and personal transformation. It shines a light on the silent battles so many face and offers hope to those still searching for their way forward. From surviving the Vietnam War and leaving her homeland with the boat people to living in disease-infested refugee camps and navigating the complexities of a foreign land called America, Amy M. Le's stories leave no stone unturned as she shares her pains of first love, discrimination, open-heart surgery, suicide ideation, sexual assault, an unplanned pregnancy, homelessness, and more.

This is more than a story of survival—it’s a testament to the strength required to rebuild, to believe again, and to step fully into who you were always meant to be. If you’ve ever felt lost, unseen, or shattered by life’s circumstances, From Broken to Brave will remind you that healing is possible and your story isn’t over yet.

Content This book contains stories of sexual trauma, suicide ideation, and other mental and physical health themes

528 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

Amy M. Le is the award-winning author of the Snow trilogy: Snow in Vietnam, Snow in Seattle, and Snow’s Kitchen. She is a Vietnam War survivor and Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) warrior. Amy was born in Vietnam, raised in Seattle and Orange County, and now lives in Oklahoma with her husband, son, and pets.

Amy is the founder of Quill Hawk Publishing and helps authors indie publish their work. She also co-founded The Heart Community Collection, an online cooperative bookstore for the CHD community.

Amy is a member of several organizations including the Asian Author Alliance, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Oklahoma City Writers, Inc., Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., Telltale Authors, the Yukon Writers’ Society, and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

For fun, Amy loves to cook, watch NFL, UFC and F-1 events.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir. It starts in Vietnam when the author is a child and follows her through her tumultuous journey to adulthood. Her young life was full of trauma but she overcame it and grew. That’s the first half of the book.

The second half is sort of like a daily inspirational, at least that’s how I used it. I read the first half quickly and the second half I read a chapter a day. Each chapter of the second half is a lesson learned. They are feel good and thought provoking. They were a nice way for me to end each day.

This was an ARC. I posted this review on Amazon and it was removed for some unknown reason. Amazon never emailed me to explain what was wrong with the review.

[Renee Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Broken to Brave is a frank and honest account of the author’s life. It takes a lot of guts to be this vulnerable. Her transparency allows the reader insight that encourages, inspires and also uplifts because we learn that we are not the only one. We’ve all got stuff and as Le so eloquently points out “you are more than the worst thing that ever happened to you.” In fact, the entire second half of her memoir is packed full of little nuggets of profound wisdom. Like “there was a time when I looked back with regret, not because I failed, but because I never gave myself permission to try.” Yes! There are so many of these worthy quotes that I’d use them to create wallpaper and cover my office walls.

[Mark Edward Jones · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Amy brings passion and vulnerability to *From Broken to Brave*, sharing her journey through some of life's toughest challenges. Her story offers a heartfelt reminder of the importance of love, forgiveness, and the courage to move forward.

I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily sharing my review.

[Greg]

Huge fan Of Amy M Le, read most of her books, Always informative, interesting, exciting and heart breaking. No doubt this book will follow that same path

[Charlie Petters · Rating 5 out of 5]

"From Broken to Brave" is not an AI rendition about Amy M. Le's life, because no programmer could put the deep-seated emotion into a memoir that Amy put into her book. "From Broken to Brave" is a book that was written from the HEART of a survivor to the hearts of readers who are still troubled by what they are living through. Her life was almost broken to the point of extinction, and she was in a very dark place where most do not make it back from. It is said if you are in a hole that is deep enough, where it is dark enough, you can see the stars in the sky above during daytime. She reveals in her book exactly how deep and dark her life once was, and what she did to overcome overwhelming obstacles. It took a tremendous amount of courage for her to openly expose herself so others might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel before it goes dark. It is easy for me to see a bit of my life in what Amy so eloquently described about her life, as she went through the "Good, Bad, and Ugly." It is that human touch that makes "From Broke to Brave" a very good read. Over and over again she reminds us that "I am not what happens to me, I am who I choose to be." I highly recommend reading "From Broken to Brave," so that one and all can also be "The Come Back Kid."

She gives us a wonderful reminder on page 123. "Fear shrinks your world. When fear is in charge, opportunities become risks, possibilities become threats, and growth becomes something to avoid...Most of our growth happens outside our comfort zone. The things that often bring the greatest fulfillment...usually involve uncertainty and vulnerability."

Here is the warning about that book. Do not expect to read this book without shedding tears about Amy's life and your own life. This is an excellent book to read from someone that knows how to reach hearts. My heart was very touched by this book.

[Michael Doud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy opens her life and heart in this book with honesty, courage, and power. Her story follows a young woman learning to move through some of life’s most difficult challenges, guided by a fierce determination to grow, learn, forgive, and love. Though a surgeon may have closed the hole in her heart, love is what truly filled it. A remarkable work.