Goodbye, Vietnam

by Gloria Whelan

"When Mai's family discovers that Vietnam government soldiers will soon apprehend her father and grandmother, the family slips away in the night. They trudge through the swamps of the Mekong Delta toward the sea. The gut-wrenching trip to Hong Kong is just another step toward a new life, which the family eventually finds. Whelan's characters are distinctive, and her story is riveting, haunting, and memorable, reflecting the human virtues of determination, hope, love, and courage in the face of the most devastating of circumstances and injustices."
—Booklist

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Asia, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Gloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods of northern Michigan.

Reviews

[Kristalynn A]

When the government in Vietnam becomes drunk with power, Mai and her family make the decision to leave their small village and seak a new life in a different country. Mai, her parents, younger brother, sister, and grandmother have to leave in the middle of the night so they are sure to make it out unnoticed. They travel two nights to their first destination on their road to freedom to Go Cong where they must catch a boat o Hong Kong. When they realiz just how small the boat will be they have thoughts of turning back but know that if they do they will be punished. When they are out on the water for many days and the food and water supplies atart to run low they think it would be better if they had stayed. They do not know if they will ever make it to Hong Kong and off the ocean and think they will be trapped forever to starve Because Mai and her family were so persistant to get a new and better life it shows ho much they were truly searching for thei American Dream. This book portrays a parelel ulture although it is written by a cultural outsider. Gloria Whelan captured the esscence of how people everywhere dream, for their American Dream. Goodbye, Vietnamis a good choice for everyone looking for an Ameican dream book narated from the perspective of a young Vietnmise girl.

[Matisse Nikolaevna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, goes through the story of a migrant well and shows the difficulties from a hard time in history!

[Brittany Brattin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book "Goodbye, Vietnam" Mai and her family seek to leave their village in Vietnam due to many factors, although at the same time they didn't want to leave because that is where all of their ancestors and family came from and grew up. Therefore, it seemed like they were leaving everything they have ever known. The government soldiers were coming to take away the father and the grandmother of Mai's family, so they thought it would be best to escape their village before this happened. The family traveled through treacherous nights and had to hide from the guards so that they would not be caught. Their escape plan was to meet at a private boat to leave the country, however the only way to get on the boat was for Mai's father to bring tools to fix the old boats engine. It wasn't just Mai's family, there were hundreds of people that were trying to leave their villages to get on this boat to reach the destination of Hong Kong. Throughout their three week travel to their destination they met many new people that soon become family.
This book could be used as a teaching tool in school to showcase to students that families all over the world face problems and have to make sacrifices. Every family goes through struggles but some at a higher extent that some will ever endure. Students could research how many people from other countries decided to leave and what sacrifices and risks they had to take. If doing this in upper grade levels, students could write a report about what they research and share the similarities and differences in everyone’s stories that are researched.

[chloe du · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty mid

[Emily]

“It was a great book and I liked hearing about them coming to America and overcoming their situation. I loved the book.” -My fourth grader

[Jerry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today we live in a world where refugees in the news. We read about and see people leaving there home land in hope of a better life.

Goodbye Vietnam by Gloria Whelan is a story about Vietnamese refugees after the war in Vietnam. Even though this is decades ago the story of Mia rings true today. This 13-year-old girl and her family and their hardship in Vietnam and their courageous journey to their hope for future on a tiny boat with way too many people want is relevant.

Written in 1992, this is certainly is an important story for young people to be reading today. Today people very much like Mia are facing danger if they stay in their homeland and danger if they leave. Yet they leave everything behind because they embrace a gritty hope for better life. Goodbye Vietnam is an ALA recommended book for reluctant young adult readers. I see it as a great book for any reader interested in a realistic depiction of what it means to be a refugee from your country.

This story appeals to young people, their parents and teachers because of its relevant and accessible content. Many students and some of my teacher friends read this book 20 years ago. I am suggesting that it is time to bring Goodbye Vietnam to new audiences.

[Sam Parry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Goodbye Vietnam is about people fleeing their home land for an oppertunity that is equal for eveyone in America regardless of their race or political backround. This book is told in 1st person by a teenage boy named Mai. Some people living in Vietnam were being discrimainated, this resulted in many people fleeing Vietnam and persueing their American dream by finding refuge in America. This book takes place in Vietnam and on the ocean around 1960. By reading about these dynamic characters go through hardships you learned a lot about the characters. They became very round characters after awhile. The main characters name is Mai he is about 15 and he has a lot of responsibilty. Mai and his father play a mager role in leading the family to safty and refuge. This exsiting plot will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading. Many unexpected twists and turns come your way throughout the book. Mai's grandma is stereotyped as a wise old medicine women that is very stubborn and frail. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering a short read that will educate them about Vietnam.

[Lizzie White]

Goodbye, Vietnam is the well-constructed story of a girl named Mai and her sea voyage from Vietnam to the United States. The characters in this culturally diverse story are extremely believable, and their actions throughout the book seem very authentic. In Mai's first-person narration, her family leaves their home and start a new life, many family and peer relationships are shown in the story. On the journey Mai's family takes to the U.S., their group of travelers face many problems, such as lack of food and cramped living quarters. The setting of Goodbye, Vietnam seemed very accurate and believable to me, and I loved the way the American Dream was interpreted and Mai's Vietnamese heritage is represented in this story of hope. As Mai's ship faces starvation, they finally land in Hong Kong, where they are sent to a relocation camp, but still remain hopeful and optimistic. Mai's family struggles to gain access to America, until the end of this adventurous story, when they finally are sent to fulfill their dreams of starting life in the United States. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading motivating YA literature.

[Trynity Ririe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodbye Vietnam was a very interesting book about children and adults surviving on a boat oversea for three months. The reason why they were on a boat for so long is because all of them wanted a better life then the one in Vietnam. Goodbye Vietnam shows people mostly the vietnamese fleeing from oppression. It was very accurate secondary account of this time period. The main charecter Mai was a tound charecter like mostly all the other charecters. The plot was very credible, also the setting and theme made the plot better and more accurate. The best aspect of this book is that there are not any cesorship issues throughout the whole book. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good book about hardships and suvival.When you read this book you should expect to have sort of a depressing book because everyone on this boat had a very hard time they had no where to lay down or to even move they just sat on a boat for three months doing nothing. Which don't you think that would be hard. Well again i really recommend this book to really anyone interested in history.

[Mikaela Ripley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan is a contemporary realistic fiction novel about Vietnam immigrants. This book is about leaving to go got America for an oppurtunity of freedom. The manin character, Mai, and her family leave their small village in Vietnam. They go on a hard, long, and distasterous, journey aboard a boat to Hong Kong. The setting of the book is in Vietnam and in Hong Kong during the 1900's era. Themes of the novel include resilience and hope. The plot of the book is seemingly authentic because of the Vietnam immigrants that actually had to illegally cross the ocean to reach a different country. This is so they could leave behind the struggles of Vietnam. This book is a good choice if you wanted to know more about immigrants leaving their home country. It also has an interesting background story and i suggest you read it if you want to learn more about Vietnamese immigrants wanting to have part in thr American Dream.

[Kortney S · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Goodbye, Vietnam' by Gloria Whelan written in first person narraration is a well written story that illustrates the American Dream and immigrants searching for a better life constituted by it. Mai, the main character and her family are a poor Vietnamese family that get the opportunity to get on a boat and sail to America for a better life. They get on a boat with tons of other people in cramped quarters. They have to go through a lot of trials to get there and they have to stay in refugee camps, waiting to see what their future is going to be, in Vietnam or America. This book was a really good example of the way immigrants from Vietnam came to America. There were a lot of slow, boring parts to this book, but overall it was really good. Everything seemed very accurate because the author did a lot of research on the topic. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the struggles immigrants face and want to learn more about the American Dream while doing so.

[Gas 'n Mask · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book "Goodbye, Vietnam" is an interesting book, to say the least. It tells the story of young Mai, a Vietnamese girl who must run away from the unjust and unkind Vietnam government with her family. She faces many hardships along the way, including guards, corrupt guides, the ever-present Vietnamese government, and an entire ocean. This book is written in first person, and exhibits strong themes like perseverance,and the American Dream. However, this book is not without it's faults. The author did not even bother to include an author's note, and no work was cited in any way, shape, or form. Also, you may call me knit-picky, but the characters seem a bit too "lucky" for my taste, among other slight details. This book was all and all, quite enjoyable, but because of the fact that the information in this novel did not seem as quite as accurate as it could have been, I cannot say that I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Lauren H · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan, a family in Vietnam is being treated unfairly and taken advantage of by the government. When moans (the main character) grandmother is going to be taken away because she practices the "old ways", the family leaves their old city to go to Hong Kong and eventually America to seek refuge and saftey. This historical fiction book is told in 1st person from a young girls point of view as she accounts her travels of going across the ovens with a maniac captian. It has good themes of love and compassion as the family cares for eachother and friends. Een though Gloria Whelan is a cultural outsider, her book seemed authentic based on my background knowledge and research. Overall this book was okay, however I would have enjoyed a lot more if it had more action added to the plot.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodbye, Vietnam; written by Gloria Whelan depicts the life of a young Vietnamese girl Mai and her rice farming family. This book with believable characters tells the adventurous story of a family escaping from the regulations of Vietnam. The well described plot and setting allows you to experience the book in a new way. Mai, not knowing where and what her journey holds is faced with challenges on her trek to "heaven". Themes of friendship, family struggles, and that people can find freedom from oppressiom in America occur simataniously. Anyone who loves books on the American Dream and the knowledge of immigrants will find this book intriguing. The easy to follow text keeps you hooked on every written word and makes you think, "What will happen next?"

[Minh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written.
I love Vietnam. My beloved country. When I will be back to my land...?

[Zabelle]

Interestingly there was no mention of American Vietnam war, no mention of Agent Orange use and Hong Kong being a colony of British empire at the time. Whenever that time is. It's not mentioned either. However, the city name was Saigon and it changed to Ho Chi Minh in 1975 and even now for some vietnamese it's Saigon because that's what their fathers and grand fathers and... (you get the picture) called it. The doctor fleeing from Ho Chi Minh not even once made a reference to the name Saigon.
Vietnam is a socialist republic and governed by one party. As such the picture portrayed of the state fighting the old believes and traditions is correct. Although after four five decades vietnamese continue calling their oldest kid as the second, each household has an alter, and Tet is a big celebration and a big deal.
As a whole it was a readable book; the pursuit of normal life, risks taken when fleeing persecutions and the country, difficulties faced as refugees very realistic and universal to all refugees.

[Elizabeth Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slim, quick read, and the story of a family's flight from Vietnam to a refugee camp in Hong Kong is both harrowing and appropriately told for young readers. The book's short length, though, is also its down side - the story ends as the family is finally (after weeks of living in a crowded, disease-ridden Hong Kong warehouse refugee camp) about to board a plane to the United States...and it felt like there was still much more to tell. Clearly, this family's story didn't end there, and it seems like the book, too, should have continued on at least a bit further. Yes, they're at the point where they're definitively saying, "Goodbye, Vietnam" at the end (after several weeks in Hong Kong not being sure whether they'll be sent back to where they came from or allowed to move on)...but we're also left wondering what they said "Hello" to after that, which didn't feel like a satisfying ending. Book #14 of my read-one-kids-book-per-week mini challenge (within my larger reading challenge) this year.

[Jenish Tailor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy to read, but its a really inspiring story. Mai and his family's journey to Hong Kong via boat from Vietnam. The journey is loaded with all types of emotion: happiness, starvation, joy, new born, New Year etc. Once they reach Hong Kong, only to find out that there are thousands of family just like them trying to get work or place somewhere. Luckily they did got pass for United States, otherwise they would have been sent back to Vietnam, just like some other family. I have started to like almost all work of Gloria Whelan. I give a 4 stars only because, I wanted to read more about their journey to United States as well. If their journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong was this inspiring, I can only imagine what can take place from Hong Kong to United States.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book “Goodbye Vietnam by Gloria Whelan is about a girl and her family trying to get a better life. So they travel to Hong Kong, they face lots of trails like having to much people in the boat or not have enough food and water. I think this book was ok, but they could have added more things like in the part were there about to escape.They could have added, the family trying to escape out of the village but they get caught and they try again to escape and they do. Also in the part were there in Hong Kong and they would let them out, they could have added the family trying to escape.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong narrative about a young girl who leaves Vietnam with her family. It covers the way that they sneak out of their village and the reasons why. It goes through the long journey to China, and then the refugee camp in which they are forced to stay. There are some very moving moments, such as when friends are betrayed or are forced to leave the camp. Although there is ultimately a happy ending, you don't really get to revel in that part. It made me think of Lynn Yann, from my youth, but she was Cambodian.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this in our home library. Appropriate for our current social condition understanding, this story combines a young girl's account of her family's escape from her hometown with a glimpse into her county's governmental oppression following the Vietnam war. She and her family become "boat people" escaping to Hong Kong with the hopes of making it to America somehow. Similar to what is occurring on our southern U.S. border even as I type.

[Cassiejoan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at my daughter's prompting, esp. as she has enjoyed several Gloria Whelan books recently. I appreciate Whelan's ability to draw the reader in and expose her to a world previously unknown to her. I loved experiencing a Vietnamese family as they made the heartbreaking decision to leave their home, throwing literally everything they have into the hands of others and hoping that it will lead to a better life elsewhere.

[Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not personally experienced the tragedy and travesty of disrupted lives caused by war, I appreciate books chronicling the human consequences of political conflicts. Gloria Whelan tells a riveting story of a people determined to keep their families together under the most difficult set of circumstances imaginable.

[Talie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simply written so that a younger person can read it. It does not gloss over the death or hardship that pushed the family to flee their home by sketchy boat. Death by starvation on the boat, or by disease in the refugee compound are hard topics to cover with kids.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh.
The ending really wasn’t it. It felt like something was missing the characters are okay bac si hong is the only good one.#girlboss. Also where was the Loi x father, grandmother x Quang, and Kim x Mai ending??

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read. My son was reading this book for school and I decided to read it also. Interesting book that made me want to learn more.

[Watch Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Review Coming Soon

[Gracie Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books gives a great perspective on a different immigration experience. Very thought provoking. Definitely has the potential to invoke some good conversation in the classroom.

[Tiffany Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow cried in this book.

[Flippann014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting of Mai changing in order to help her family survive this dangerous travel.