When Clouds Touch Us

Inside Out and Back Again #2

by Thanhhà Lại

Inspired by the author's own childhood, this stunning novel in verse, sequel to the award-winning #1 bestseller Inside Out and Back Again, picks up two years after Hà and her family arrive in Alabama as refugees from the Việt Nam War.

Hà and her family have worked hard to make a life for themselves in the US, but it hasn’t come easy. Hà has only just started to feel settled when Mother decides that the family will move to Texas for a new job.

Hà knows how hard starting over is and doesn’t want to have to do it again. But sometimes even an unwanted change can bring opportunity, new friends, and a place to call home.

This lyrical and compelling sequel to the National Book Award Medalist and Newbery Honor winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Inside Out and Back Again follows Hà and her family through another year of upheaval, growth, and love.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Childrens, Fiction, Historical

256 pages, ebook

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Please contact my website with messages www.thanhhalai.com

Thanhhà Lại was born in Vietnam. At the end of the war, she fled with her family to Alabama. There, she learned English from fourth graders and then spent the next decade correcting her grammar. Starting her writing life as a journalist, she worked at The Orange County Register. She switched to fiction, leading to an MFA from New York University and short story publications in various journals and anthologies. Then came Inside Out & Back Again, a National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning verse novel based in part on her childhood as a refugee in Alabama. Next was Listen, Slowly, another middle grade novel featuring a young Vietnamese-American girl. Butterfly Yellow is her first YA novel. Her debut picture book is Hundred Years of Happiness, illustrated by Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien.

Her latest book is When Clouds Touch Us, the long-awaited sequel to Inside Out & Back Again. When Clouds Touch Us is out May 9th, 2023.

Thanhhà lives with her husband, daughter and a little white dog just north of New York City.

To stay updated about Thanhhà's writing, visit www.thanhhalai.com and follow her on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/ThanhhaLai

Instagram: instagram.com/thanhha_lai

Reviews

[Mai H.]

API Month

Happy May! Besides finishing up some books I have previously started, I will be reading and reviewing a ton of Asian and Asian American books this month. If you have recommendations for Pacific Islander stories, I'll be taking those at this time.

Even though this is a sequel to a book I haven't read, I don't feel like I missed that much. I didn't realize this was written in verse, a form I don't usually read, but I find I quite enjoyed it. As you know, I'm trying to read more Vietnamese refugee and immigration stories, and this one hit very close to home. To be fair, most of them do. I loved the Vietnamese spelling of Texas. Giggled to myself for a while after figuring out what I was reading.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins

[Haylee Perry]

I was so excited to see that Thanhhà Lai wrote a sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. I knew this novel in verse would be beautifully written, and I was excited to learn more about Hà and her family. It was fulfilling to learn more about their different experiences as refugees. At points, Hà’s experience felt similar to my own experience of moving schools often, which can be relatable to American-born students. I am mot sure if I just wasn’t giving as much attention to this book, or if it was truly more confusing than the first, but I had trouble following along and seeing connections between the individual poems. I wanted to rate this higher, but it didn’t pull on my heart like the first book did for some reason. I still highly recommend it, and I can’t wait to get a copy for my classroom. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

[Bookishrealm]

Honestly...not as strong as the first and I think a lot of that had to do with the way in which it was written in verse.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

Just couldn't get into this one :(

Not a bad book, just not the right match for this reader.

[Tammy]

I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed reading the book better, because of the free verse style, than listening to the audio.

[Shannon]

Another moving #ownvoices middle grade novel in verse from the author of Inside out and back again. Told in journal entries over the course of a year, the story picks up two years after Hà and her family settled in Alabama as refugees the Viet Nam war. In this book, the family moves again to Texas for her father's work and Hà has to make new friends and find a way to fit in. Great on audio and recommended for fans of Kelly Yang or Jane Kuo.

[Michelle]

This is my last book of 2025 and sadly it was a bit of a bummer. I didn't not like it, but I can't say I really enjoyed it. Told through diary form and poetry verse we follow the life of Ha and her family after she arrives in Alabama from Vietnam. Maybe because my brain is not functioning properly from the holidays and working in retail, I felt a bit lost in the story. I wasn't real sure why they left Alabama to go to Texas. I just felt the poetry verse that was done, did not work well with the story.

[Susan]

The continued story of a young girl who escaped Vietnam during the fall of Saigon.

[Jennifer Mangler]

A worthy sequel. I love the use of language.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks))]

A nice follow-up to Inside Out and Back Again, and I was happy to be back with the family. This chronicles more stages of the refugee family experience.

"Someday we will
own our every hour,
for now we're still
reacting to typhoons
created by others."

"Name one refugee child
not committed to high marks
witnessing a parent contort
from lawyer to janitor,
restaurant owner to busser,
doctor to stretcher pusher,
melodic talker to speaking
through her children?"

[Christine Indorf]

Reviewing for NetGalley:
I listened to this book on audiobooks and I notice this book was written in verse and did not translate to audiobooks. The book skipped all over the place. I didn’t understand half of the book. There was no exact plot to the book. They want to raise money for a house but then they go to the brother that did not make sense or her mother. I didn’t understand what the author point for this book was. Not a good read and definitely would not recommend. I like Ha but the rest of the characters were really non existent.
An actual 2.5 stars

[Book friends are my best friends]

Though it's been over 6 years since I read "Inside Out and Back Again," this book drew me right back in to Ha's life. Though I have little in common with Ha, I love her story and find myself soaking in her culture, her relationships with her mother and brother, and the way she is constantly having to adapt. Moving story that gives students insight into another young one's life.

Note to parents/educators: one allusion to a menstrual cycle.

Thanks to netgalley for ARC.

[vanessa]

I just went back and realized I gave the previous book 3 stars. This one was not as good so 2 stars it is. Following all the siblings, their struggles, and how they adapt (often by working or saving money) was the upside. This book lacked emotion… its use of figurative language and metaphors could get confusing (I picked up the book because the audiobook on its own wasn’t working). I think the writing tells rather than shows.

[Rebecca Gomez]

I loved the first book, and I hoped to love this one too. But, while I was glad to read more about Ha and her family as they grow accustomed to life in the United States, I found the story hard to follow. According to the author, the way the verse is written is meant to reflect how Ha's language is evolving, growing "wordier," as she learns English. But rather than wordy, to me it felt a little clunky and unclear, and many times I had to reread passages in order to understand what was happening in the story. There was still plenty to like about this book, though. I found Ha's experience in learning to fit in, making and losing friends, and feeling a little tossed about very relatable.

[Christiana Doucette]

When Clouds Touch Us continues the powerful story of Inside Out and Back Again. Ha and her family are moving from Alabama to Texas. And the move brings with it loss of friends, and familiarity. As well as challenges with school, work, and housing. Skillfully woven into a compelling story in lyrical verse, if you loved Inside Out and Back Again, you will definitely want to read this sequel.

[Valerie]

Another poignant look at life as a refugee as the family struggles to find some success in a new land, so different from Vietnam.

[Jess]

A sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, this novel in verse would be great for anyone interested in the experience of refugees, continuing to move in search of more opportunity. Also a great story about learning to fit in while holding true to your own family and culture. Great for any middle school.

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sequel to Inside Out and Back Again and told in a similar, lyrical style of verse.

[Jan]

Middle grade novel written in verse - attended an author event for Thanhha Lai. She was very engaged and the kids loved her. The book was wonderful

[Elena]

Sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, both written in verse. While it was enjoyable to see Ha and her family’s story continue, I didn’t like it as much as the first.

[Jillian Jones]

After going inside out and back again, Ha has found herself being able to touch the clouds. Thanhhà Lai has once again done an amazing job cultivating her readers into her personal story. The story started in the Newbery Honor winner, "Inside Out and Back Again," but the story didn’t end there. Lai’s readers wanted to know what happened once Hà finally made it to America. So, Lai wrote the sequel "When Clouds Touch Us". This story, depicted through well versed poetry, shows the hardships and struggles that Hà and her family faced. To define the plot of the story to one singular thing would be too hard, the whole story of her family finding their place is the premise of the story. I honestly loved reading the first book in the series growing up. Then the theme of finding your place didn;t really mean much to me. However, being able to truly understand and wrap my head around these concepts is eye opening and very insightful. Though the book lacks illustrations, the reader is not left with a dull picture. Lai really out did herself with this one, and it would be a shame to not add it to your read aloud list.

[Robyn]

This sequel to Inside Out and Back Again doesn’t miss the mark! Even though it’s been 11 years since the original story touched our hearts, the author didn’t lose any of the magic of our protagonist voice. Written in the same verse style to capture Ha’s journey learning English, this short novel packs a punch. If your elementary or middle school student loved the first book, you have to grab them the second book.

I’d highly recommend the audio version of this book to hear the way in which this verse would be said by Ha. It adds a wonderful layer of depth to the story.

I received a copy of this book as an ALC courtesy of Libro.fm and HarperCollins in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Becky B]

Hà has finally settled in and has a best friend when her mom announces that they are moving from Alabama to Texas for a better job opportunity. Her mom thinks if they move they will eventually be able to afford a house, but Hà wonders if they will ever feel truly settled again.

This is semi-autobiographical, based on the author's own experiences. I like the free verse format as it allows emotional expression and just the right amount of details. Thanhhà really makes the refugee experience come to life for readers as well as what it is like to scrimp and save every penny as a family. I appreciate her being willing to share from her experiences.

Notes on content:
Language: None that I remember. I think there's some racist comments at one point.
Sexual content: Her older brother gets a girlfriend, but no details.
Violence: None. Losing people in the war is mentioned but not really described.
Ethnic diversity: Vietnamese and white Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Finances are really tight and her mom has to work long hours.

[Jessica]

A beautifully written follow up to Inside out and Back again. It’s exciting to learn about what came next for Ha and her family. Every refugee has a different experience and theirs is unique.

This book was much harder to follow than the first one. I would certainly attribute it to the fact that I read this without the audiobook to fall back on. The Vietnamese words are difficult to pronounce and comprehend for someone who doesn’t know the language.

One do the best parts of the book is that it’s clearly written to reflect the thoughts of a young girl.

[Sarah Bennett]

This sequel is just as beautiful and deeply moving as the first book. I find myself so immersed in Thanhhà Lại’s words and story. You just cannot help but be sucked in. I highly recommend both Inside Out and Back Again and this new sequel and I am so glad I saved this to read during Poetry Month. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Kristen]

This follow up to Inside Out & Back Again was enjoyable, and I liked seeing more of how Ha continued to learn and change and grow after the first book. Some of it, though, seemed a little bit esoteric, especially for the intended audience of middle grade children. That's not to say it's not a good book, but definitely not as gripping as the first one.

[Katie D’Angelo]

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC title. This title is a sequel to the author’s book Inside Out and Back Again, which wowed me and my fifth graders at the time.

This sequel is pure magic. Written in stunningly beautiful prose poetry, it follows Ha as she and her family must uproot once again. The storyline blends the very familiar experience of growing up and trying to fit in with the unique experience of a refugee family struggling to make a strange place home. When the Clouds Touch Us is a novel that will stick with readers for a long time.

[Bailey Laingren]

I was so excited to find out about a sequel! It was nice to hear what else happens, but I'm with some other reviewers, it didn't hold my attention as much as the first! I will say the cover is GORGEOUS!

[Laura Rueckert]

I really loved this gorgeous verse novel – so much so, that when I reached the end, I was disappointed and wanted it to continue. Also, in a world where so many refugees need help and understanding, I think this is an important book to read.