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Of Monkey Bridges and Bánh Mì Sandwiches: from Sài Gòn to Texas
"In dark times like these, the ability to find what binds us is vital. In Monkey Bridges and Bánh Mì Sandwiches, Oanh Ngo Usadi brings empathy and vivid storytelling to her young life as a Vietnamese girl fleeing the country with her family after the Vietnam War. At once an ode to the beauty of her home country and a harrowing depiction of the horrors of leaving it for an uncertain new life, Monkey Bridges is the sort of book we need right now, to remind us that for all our differences, we share love, fear, and the hope of redemption. As Usadi and her family slowly adjust to their new lives in Texas, it becomes clear that theirs is a quintessentially American story." -- Julie Powell, author of best-selling memoir, Julie & Julia,Wall Street Journal bestsellerAmazon bestseller in MemoirPublishers Weekly BookLife Prize Finalist, #1 Memoir in 2018
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2018
233 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Oanh Ngo Usadi
2 books29 followersOanh Ngo Usadi was born in Saì Gòn but grew up in an orchard in the Mekong Delta, where her family was exiled after the war. When she was eleven, the family escaped Việt Nam as part of the mass exodus of boat refugees. In 1984, they settled in a small Texas town where her father, the eternal entrepreneur, opened a bánh mì sandwich shop.
After working in consulting and having her own personal chef business, Oanh turned to writing. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, and elsewhere.
She has been featured in several podcasts including Voice of America, the Bookmonger, and Morphmom. She has also been a featured storyteller at The Moth Mainstage.
You can follow Oanh on Facebook, Twitter and the O&O Press website, OandOPress.com.
After working in consulting and having her own personal chef business, Oanh turned to writing. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, and elsewhere.
She has been featured in several podcasts including Voice of America, the Bookmonger, and Morphmom. She has also been a featured storyteller at The Moth Mainstage.
You can follow Oanh on Facebook, Twitter and the O&O Press website, OandOPress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
August 18, 2020
I am an avid reader of all genres, but I have never felt compelled to put in writing my thoughts and feelings about a book I have read. But this memoir did just that. I am sure that, like me, many Americans still view Viet Nam as an exotic but alien place of struggle and desperation and inscrutable people. A place that many Americans would rather not think about.
Oanh Ngo Usadi has a fascinating story to tell and it is beautifully written. It is more than just another immigrant experience story. It is tragic in it is recounting of what happened to Viet Nam and its people after the war ended in 1975. But it is also re-affirming and uplifting describing in how her family coped and eventually escaped and re-established their lives in America.
The book is a tribute to the perseverance of her parents, to the simplicity and dignity of Vietnamese culture and values, and even to the best part of America. It made me laugh and cry and I wished it would not end.
It will make you rethink what you thought you knew about Viet Nam and its people and the stories behind immigration in general. Not a bad thing in these times.
Oanh Ngo Usadi has a fascinating story to tell and it is beautifully written. It is more than just another immigrant experience story. It is tragic in it is recounting of what happened to Viet Nam and its people after the war ended in 1975. But it is also re-affirming and uplifting describing in how her family coped and eventually escaped and re-established their lives in America.
The book is a tribute to the perseverance of her parents, to the simplicity and dignity of Vietnamese culture and values, and even to the best part of America. It made me laugh and cry and I wished it would not end.
It will make you rethink what you thought you knew about Viet Nam and its people and the stories behind immigration in general. Not a bad thing in these times.
May 19, 2020
One of the best books I have ever read...
...And I read a lot.
"Of Monkey Bridges and Banh Mi Sandwiches" is a spectacular read. It is a true work of art. Oanh Ngo Usadi has a way with words that truly makes me crave her next piece, in any way it may come. Her stories are beautiful and vivid, humorous and heart breaking. Pure gold. She is a master of word choice, plot, and structure. Her characters—real people—come to life on the page. You want to know them even more. You want to hug them. You want them to move in next door.
This memoir gives readers a peak into life in post-1975 South Vietnam, the Vietnamese countryside, the boat rides that refugees would take in order to leave Vietnam, and life in America as a refugee/immigrant from Vietnam. I traveled through Vietnam with my husband at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. We were hungry for new perspectives, and Oanh's is one of the most vulnerable, most honest, and most transparent we have found. Learning through the eyes of a child.
Memoirs are typically books that I can put down and take my time reading, but this one is special. I wanted to read constantly, but I was also keenly aware of how many pages I had left. I never wanted it to end.
Buy, buy, buy this book. Support an incredible author who should be at the top of every chart, in her self-published slam dunk.
...And I read a lot.
"Of Monkey Bridges and Banh Mi Sandwiches" is a spectacular read. It is a true work of art. Oanh Ngo Usadi has a way with words that truly makes me crave her next piece, in any way it may come. Her stories are beautiful and vivid, humorous and heart breaking. Pure gold. She is a master of word choice, plot, and structure. Her characters—real people—come to life on the page. You want to know them even more. You want to hug them. You want them to move in next door.
This memoir gives readers a peak into life in post-1975 South Vietnam, the Vietnamese countryside, the boat rides that refugees would take in order to leave Vietnam, and life in America as a refugee/immigrant from Vietnam. I traveled through Vietnam with my husband at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. We were hungry for new perspectives, and Oanh's is one of the most vulnerable, most honest, and most transparent we have found. Learning through the eyes of a child.
Memoirs are typically books that I can put down and take my time reading, but this one is special. I wanted to read constantly, but I was also keenly aware of how many pages I had left. I never wanted it to end.
Buy, buy, buy this book. Support an incredible author who should be at the top of every chart, in her self-published slam dunk.
May 20, 2020
Inspiring and thought provoking story of a Vietnamese family's escape after the fall of Saigon and their experiences as refugees coming to the US.
May 27, 2021
What really grabbed me about this memoir was the sheer volume and magnitude of compelling storytelling. Only mid-way into the book and it felt like I had lived in Vietnam. The descriptions are vivid; living on the countryside inclusive of orchards, livestock, climbing trees…and oh, those monkey bridges! I could literally taste the cuisine… particularly the durian, especially when it was compared to M&M’s; a fascinating story all around... from the cursory details on Buddhism, to the political backdrop and currencies introduced into circulation, along with what it took to plant and grow food, making Tofu and turning bean sprouts into milk, plus taking care of animals… and pets… each one of these lessons coming with a poignant story, the differentiation from learning by rote and simply knowing. What I'm saying, this one is a MUST READ. Again, that's only half the story. Aside from the opening, (doctors, lawyers and businessmen like Oanh's father (&family) being exiled from their native land) there's the other half of this story, as in what it took getting to America, and then the adjustment living in America. This book/this story, is one the richest memoirs I've read this year. (And I've read hundreds, if not thousands of memoirs). So well done. Highly recommended!
August 24, 2020
I was drawn to this book because I suspected the "small town in Texas" that the author moved to after she escaped from Vietnam was my home town and I was correct.
Even though I was more interested in her life after she came to America, I found the story of her life in Saigon before it fell to the Communists interesting, and her life with her parents after they moved to a small village in the Mekong Delta even more compelling. Her father had owned a successful auto parts business in Saigon before it was confiscated by the Communists and her family's life changed completely.
Some years after I moved away a sizeable number of Vietnamese refugees settled in Port Arthur, Texas. My family still lived there, and they were pretty prejudiced against the newcomers, but Usadi does not dwell on the prejudice that I'm sure her family had to deal with in the 1980s. I enjoyed reading about how she struggled with English and learned to adapt to a new culture. The Vietnamese community has taken root there, even buying the site of a defunct movie theater and creating a beautiful Buddhist shrine on the property.
Even though I was more interested in her life after she came to America, I found the story of her life in Saigon before it fell to the Communists interesting, and her life with her parents after they moved to a small village in the Mekong Delta even more compelling. Her father had owned a successful auto parts business in Saigon before it was confiscated by the Communists and her family's life changed completely.
Some years after I moved away a sizeable number of Vietnamese refugees settled in Port Arthur, Texas. My family still lived there, and they were pretty prejudiced against the newcomers, but Usadi does not dwell on the prejudice that I'm sure her family had to deal with in the 1980s. I enjoyed reading about how she struggled with English and learned to adapt to a new culture. The Vietnamese community has taken root there, even buying the site of a defunct movie theater and creating a beautiful Buddhist shrine on the property.
June 3, 2018
Very provative and touching story of survival and hope
My childhood and teenage years too provoke memories of the Vietnam War from an American child's limited point of view. After reading this very personal tale of loss and survival from another child's perspective a world away, I have gained a new understanding of the struggles war refugees face after the soldiers leave.
My childhood and teenage years too provoke memories of the Vietnam War from an American child's limited point of view. After reading this very personal tale of loss and survival from another child's perspective a world away, I have gained a new understanding of the struggles war refugees face after the soldiers leave.
August 30, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the insight into the life of Vietnamese people. I've been to the Mekong Delta and it was hard to see the poverty and the hardscrabble lives that people there are living, even today.
September 3, 2018
An amazing and compelling read
Wow, what an incredible story. I was so moved by this memoir of a family's escape from the hardships of Viet Nam to hopefully a better life in America. This book is so well written and very compelling to read.
Wow, what an incredible story. I was so moved by this memoir of a family's escape from the hardships of Viet Nam to hopefully a better life in America. This book is so well written and very compelling to read.
August 17, 2020
This is a wonderful memoir of a young girl in Vietnam living in Saigon whose life changed dramatically after the Americans left and the Communist North Vietnamese then moved in to take over. The family first had to leave Saigon to a small rural farming village, then ultimately escaped the country. Her depictions of how they lived, talked, relationships, and more are so beautifully explained. The reader gets a sense of how difficult things were but how from a girl's perspective, she just accepted the many changes. The process of escaping Vietnam, becoming a refugee, and then an immigrant to Texas was also very interesting. The family was a very strong unit and they managed to mostly stay together. Her father believed strongly in education and worked hard to ensure that all of the children became educated. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learned a great deal.
July 9, 2024
very special to read and discuss while in the presence of the Vu family - both parents escaped from Vietnam in 1983
August 18, 2021
This book caught me by surprise. A touching memoir, full of vividly expressed memories and language that sings.
April 23, 2021
I loved this book! I listened to it twice!
I learned so much about Vietnam and communism and how it takes over everything. I learned about surviving against the odds and yet, still having a positive dispensation through it all.
Oanh, and her family are incredible examples of rising out of the ashes and I'd so love to meet them in person, one day. They certainly are visionaries and rooted in good family values.
The first part of the book is about life in Vietnam. Much of their daily lives and milestones are talked about. Then the North begins invading the south with an unwanted war of total takeover. I can see much of what happened then, happening again in our lifetime and it makes me step daily forward with my eyes and ears open, and to the ground, alert. I now know how things change in an oppressed society, so very quickly.
Through the war years we see how Oanh and her family are forced out of their familiar life and into a total paradigm shift. I can see how the north causes their very core values and families to be challenged and how their every decision and action plays out (or, not - by default).
The second part is about that new life they have to make contrary to what they have always know.
The third part of this is about their escape from Vietnam and the time they spent in refugee camps. And finally the fourth part is about their new life in America and how, even though so much had changed in their life and should have destroyed them, yet they are still strong and kind to ne and all. I am going to try one of these famous Bahn Mi Sandwiches, when I find somewhere that makes them... Maybe I should open up a shop here in my own town!
Oanh narrates her own biography and does an exceptional job, even though English is a second language to her. Her written, oral and descriptions in her second language, are very refined and easy to read/listen to. She has gone on to make English a high priority in her life and has received (I believe) a degree in this second language.
This book/audiobook would be in my short, 'highly recommended' list, for sure!
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I learned so much about Vietnam and communism and how it takes over everything. I learned about surviving against the odds and yet, still having a positive dispensation through it all.
Oanh, and her family are incredible examples of rising out of the ashes and I'd so love to meet them in person, one day. They certainly are visionaries and rooted in good family values.
The first part of the book is about life in Vietnam. Much of their daily lives and milestones are talked about. Then the North begins invading the south with an unwanted war of total takeover. I can see much of what happened then, happening again in our lifetime and it makes me step daily forward with my eyes and ears open, and to the ground, alert. I now know how things change in an oppressed society, so very quickly.
Through the war years we see how Oanh and her family are forced out of their familiar life and into a total paradigm shift. I can see how the north causes their very core values and families to be challenged and how their every decision and action plays out (or, not - by default).
The second part is about that new life they have to make contrary to what they have always know.
The third part of this is about their escape from Vietnam and the time they spent in refugee camps. And finally the fourth part is about their new life in America and how, even though so much had changed in their life and should have destroyed them, yet they are still strong and kind to ne and all. I am going to try one of these famous Bahn Mi Sandwiches, when I find somewhere that makes them... Maybe I should open up a shop here in my own town!
Oanh narrates her own biography and does an exceptional job, even though English is a second language to her. Her written, oral and descriptions in her second language, are very refined and easy to read/listen to. She has gone on to make English a high priority in her life and has received (I believe) a degree in this second language.
This book/audiobook would be in my short, 'highly recommended' list, for sure!
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
June 19, 2018
Loved it!!! Best book I've read this year. The heartwrenching and heartwarming true story of a young girl and her relationships with her mother, her father and brother while growing up in Vietnam, and after escaping to America. A glimpse into life as perceived by a child who doesn’t yet fully understand everything going on around her. A beautiful story which will make you laugh and cry, you won’t want to put it down.
November 15, 2024
I had heard the author present her story in brief on a podcast and it compelled me to look for this book and read it. And I am glad I did. The book rated between a four and five for me, maybe 4.5.
The book is divided in two parts - the family facing hardships in Vietnam during the war in 1975 and then their life in the US, which had it's share of hardships as well. In between lies the account of their daring escape and their journey from one country to the other.
What the book does very nicely is paint a beautiful picture of the landscape of Vietnam, a region I have never explored- either in person or via books. It gives an indepth view of the tough life faced during the war, which acted as a great leveler for citizens of all social status.
While the family's life in Vietnam was an interesting read, what I loved more was their quest to make America their home. The book explores the struggles with not knowing English, not knowing the customs and traditions and most importantly, the feeling at one point that inspite of whatever they do, they will never be "American" enough to truly be a part of society here, a thought that vanishes eventually with the realization that it just takes some time.
My only complaint is that the story drags at some points, which I probably wouldn't hold against the book, since I am an impatient reader sometimes, looking more at getting to the destination than enjoying the journey.
Overall, one of those books that you feel happy you read.
Happy Reading!
The book is divided in two parts - the family facing hardships in Vietnam during the war in 1975 and then their life in the US, which had it's share of hardships as well. In between lies the account of their daring escape and their journey from one country to the other.
What the book does very nicely is paint a beautiful picture of the landscape of Vietnam, a region I have never explored- either in person or via books. It gives an indepth view of the tough life faced during the war, which acted as a great leveler for citizens of all social status.
While the family's life in Vietnam was an interesting read, what I loved more was their quest to make America their home. The book explores the struggles with not knowing English, not knowing the customs and traditions and most importantly, the feeling at one point that inspite of whatever they do, they will never be "American" enough to truly be a part of society here, a thought that vanishes eventually with the realization that it just takes some time.
My only complaint is that the story drags at some points, which I probably wouldn't hold against the book, since I am an impatient reader sometimes, looking more at getting to the destination than enjoying the journey.
Overall, one of those books that you feel happy you read.
Happy Reading!
August 15, 2021
I love memoirs and this one was wonderful!! This beautiful family risked their lives to get to America, and their fortitude to learn a new culture and thrive was amazing.
October 3, 2020
This memoir covers three stages of the author's life: her childhood in war-torn Viet Nam, including her family's exile from Saigon to a village in the Mekong Delta; their harrowing flight as "boat people," landing as refugees in Malaysia; and their eventual resettlement in east Texas (with its large Vietnamese immigrant community). I've read other accounts of immigration from Viet Nam, but this was the first I've read that spends equal time on life in Viet Nam, and also the first to bring the family to my part of the world. An interesting and very moving book.
September 2, 2020
Beautifully written
Oh my goodness, what a compelling memoir. I was hooked from the very beginning. Oahn I learned so much from you. I don't think it ever crossed my mind how terribly difficult it is for immigrants to assimilate into a new culture. I will never look upon the immigrant experience in quite the same way again. Readers you won't regret time spent in this lovely story of a young Vietnamese girl coming to America and making a new life with her family.
Oh my goodness, what a compelling memoir. I was hooked from the very beginning. Oahn I learned so much from you. I don't think it ever crossed my mind how terribly difficult it is for immigrants to assimilate into a new culture. I will never look upon the immigrant experience in quite the same way again. Readers you won't regret time spent in this lovely story of a young Vietnamese girl coming to America and making a new life with her family.
September 5, 2020
Bought it, read it, loved it! A thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing read, and a great insight into what Oanh's family (and so many others) went through. With the large Vietnamese influx into Australia around the same time, I now have a far greater appreciation of the trials and tribulations involved with uprooting from 'home' and settling in a new land. Five stars!
September 21, 2020
History I've neglected knowing about
As a child, I heard the term "boat people" but didn't really know who they were or what they were doing. I honestly never tried to find out more. This memoir has opened up an understanding of people and places that I have had zero knowledge of previously. I'm very thankful I was introduced by this author.
As a child, I heard the term "boat people" but didn't really know who they were or what they were doing. I honestly never tried to find out more. This memoir has opened up an understanding of people and places that I have had zero knowledge of previously. I'm very thankful I was introduced by this author.
March 29, 2020
Not sure if I liked the Vietnam half or the Texas half more. Both parts were very well written and informative. I was expecting a book more about the flight from Saigon but in the end, it was better than that. The background about life in Vietnam was a nice contrast to life as a refugee in Texas.
September 17, 2020
I know you
I knew the quiet demeanour of our Vietnamese neighbors reflected a rich culture. Thank you for sharing the journey of many families.... American families.
I knew the quiet demeanour of our Vietnamese neighbors reflected a rich culture. Thank you for sharing the journey of many families.... American families.
October 6, 2020
Engaging book
Well written . She did a wonderful job detailing her family,s journey. Was a young adult myself during this time and could recall news reports about Vietnam.
Well written . She did a wonderful job detailing her family,s journey. Was a young adult myself during this time and could recall news reports about Vietnam.
Read
November 3, 2020Excelent!
I loved the book. I could see in my imagination your life unfolding.
Thank you for sharing your history.
Nely
I loved the book. I could see in my imagination your life unfolding.
Thank you for sharing your history.
Nely
April 10, 2021
A charming memoir
July 26, 2018
I like that the title of this book, Of Monkey Bridges and Bánh Mí Sandwiches: From Sái Gón to Texas, requires me to use another keyboard. Even then I’ve done a disservice to the title as I’ve used a Latin America one and mis-directed some of the vowel markers. It is though the title is saying, “not only does my story take place in the United States, my story is part of American culture, and a limited anglo-only keyboard is not enough.” As many adapted to the fare of the Budget Sandwich Shop, the reader must adapt to immigrational cultures that do adapt, but also hold their own in county founded on immigration.
Oanh’s story is both so visual: in some way I could see the Vietnamese country side almost as well as the halls of the middle school where she walked, and so heartrending with it’s humor of adaptation and tragedies of refugee life, that I wanted the story to continue past the walkways of the Texas university where she concludes her story. Powerful were the examples of refugee youth who adapt to culture and language and easily leave behind parents who continue to struggle in these areas while remembering their lost past. Gripping were the moments where children and parents were separated forever in an escape attempt gone awry. The book makes for an impacting read and is a story that stays with you.
The opened spigot of refugee stories, made more possible via current political decisions, provides a voice for those whose goal is to forge a safer life away from disintegrating homelands. Oanh Ngo Usadi’s story is not just inspiring, but makes this reader thankful that this brave family made it, against many odds, to a new land they could call home.
Oanh’s story is both so visual: in some way I could see the Vietnamese country side almost as well as the halls of the middle school where she walked, and so heartrending with it’s humor of adaptation and tragedies of refugee life, that I wanted the story to continue past the walkways of the Texas university where she concludes her story. Powerful were the examples of refugee youth who adapt to culture and language and easily leave behind parents who continue to struggle in these areas while remembering their lost past. Gripping were the moments where children and parents were separated forever in an escape attempt gone awry. The book makes for an impacting read and is a story that stays with you.
The opened spigot of refugee stories, made more possible via current political decisions, provides a voice for those whose goal is to forge a safer life away from disintegrating homelands. Oanh Ngo Usadi’s story is not just inspiring, but makes this reader thankful that this brave family made it, against many odds, to a new land they could call home.
July 31, 2019
What a wonderful book. This story of the author and her family as their lives change over the years from Vietnam to escaping by boat to a Malaysian refugee camp and then the U.S. is riveting. The youngest child of seven, Chanh (her family nickname), was born in 1971 and lived in the city of her birth, Sai Gon for 7 years. Her father had become involved in Vietnam's struggle against the French back in the 1940s as well as his brother but at the end of that struggle he chose to become a businessman in Sai Gon while his brother went north to embrace Communism.
With the withdrawal of the Americans in the south, Vietnam was once again one country but with definite winners and losers. Her family was one of the losers but even then Chanh's father worked to mitigate their losses. Buying an orchard and land south of Sai Gon, they had a place to go to when they had to leave the city. Life in the country was hard and very different but they managed to survive. In the early 80s as the economy continued to go down her father decided they needed to leave the country and in two parts (her older sisters leaving first), they became boat people and fled.
The details of life in Vietnam as well as in the U.S. keep you reading. The author's explanations of Vietnamese family and culture as well as the language are illuminating as are her stories of acclimating to the English language and American culture. The esteem and love that Chanh feels about her family make this a book will stay with me.
With the withdrawal of the Americans in the south, Vietnam was once again one country but with definite winners and losers. Her family was one of the losers but even then Chanh's father worked to mitigate their losses. Buying an orchard and land south of Sai Gon, they had a place to go to when they had to leave the city. Life in the country was hard and very different but they managed to survive. In the early 80s as the economy continued to go down her father decided they needed to leave the country and in two parts (her older sisters leaving first), they became boat people and fled.
The details of life in Vietnam as well as in the U.S. keep you reading. The author's explanations of Vietnamese family and culture as well as the language are illuminating as are her stories of acclimating to the English language and American culture. The esteem and love that Chanh feels about her family make this a book will stay with me.
August 17, 2020
This book was a joy to read! I've been to vietnam 14 times for 1-2 month stays each time. I've always wanted to hear from someone who lived the 'boat person journey'. I've met many in Vietnam who have gone back to visit relatives but none wrote books or let us know what it was like. When I ask them why they don't write about their experience, they mostly say, 'we don't want our children to know what we went through'. This is a first hand account from a woman who went through it as a child and for me it was such a gift to be able to read. I could hardly put it down and to hear from her what it was like in the re-location camps and the struggles even after they arrived in Texas was such an eye opener. Relevant today also because of the number of immigrants coming into our country. I especially loved her dissection of the english language and the problems with American idioms! Wonderful descriptions and I'm surprised that she could remember them all these years later. A clear description of what happened after the war and the Communists took over. Shocking and sad. In all , I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in what it takes to abandon a country because it has become unlivable and search out a new and better life here in the USA> Many positives and negatives. Amazing well written book! Thanks you for this book!
March 3, 2019
This memoir is incredibly moving and inspiring. As socialist ideals evolved into a Communist dictatorship in Vietnam, the author’s family lost their thriving auto parts business in Sai Gon to the new government and were forced to move to a remote village in the Mekong Delta. Oanh’s family’s story of escaping, becoming refugees, then resettling in America with their hopes and dreams still in tact, then successfully making a life in this new land, albeit with difficulties, is a story worth reading and pondering.
In the Epilogue Oanh writes, “(In fact,) our family had won the lottery, not once but twice. First by defying the sea in escaping Viet Nam and, second, by arriving in America. The lady of Liberty opened her arms to the battered refugees and nursed us back to productivity. No where else could a family like ours have recovered as well in as short a time.”
In the Epilogue Oanh writes, “(In fact,) our family had won the lottery, not once but twice. First by defying the sea in escaping Viet Nam and, second, by arriving in America. The lady of Liberty opened her arms to the battered refugees and nursed us back to productivity. No where else could a family like ours have recovered as well in as short a time.”
October 5, 2025
This autobiography reveals the constant changes in life, from seemingly safe life in Sai Gon to a quick retreat to an interesting life in the countryside to a terrifying passage by boat to yet another life in Port Arthur, Texas. She was a little kid, given over to accepting things as they were. While her parents paid attention to wars and strife and dangers posed by them being entrepreneurs in South Viet Nam, she focused on going to school, guarding against thieves, and cockroaches. When her parents said that they would be leaving to go to the U.S., she was surprised to learn that such a place existed.
This is a chapter of history only now being revealed to western readers: the elders of that time didn't read or write English well enough to chronicle the story, and it's now their children who are piecing together the long and terrifying history of the War and its aftermath.
This is a chapter of history only now being revealed to western readers: the elders of that time didn't read or write English well enough to chronicle the story, and it's now their children who are piecing together the long and terrifying history of the War and its aftermath.
January 7, 2020
I found this memoir very interesting and enlightening. I learned a lot about Vietnamese culture and customs. The narration by the author was obviously amateur but necessary given all the Vietnamese language and names present in the audiobook. Also, it seemed quite appropriate for the subject of the memoir to narrate her own story. Although her accent was detectable, I had no trouble understanding her narration. My only complaint is that I felt the story ended too abruptly with a few loose ends -- mainly, what happened to her parents and their business? Other than that, I enjoyed this memoir very much.
Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews