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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhhà Lại
emotional
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
"Oh, my daughter, at times you have to fight, but preferably not with your fists."
Occasionally, things are best explained and felt when it's written from a child's perspective. Inside Out and Back Again is a free verse novel written by Thanhha Lai based on her own experiences when her family moved to the States during The Vietnam War. I knew very little about the war itself so in many ways, this book proved to be educational. Set in 1975, the protagonist of the book named Há speaks of her family fleeing from Saigon. At just ten years old, this child learns about the war through observation and trepidation. With her father's disappearence all those years ago, her mother becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, tending to four children. When it is decided for them to leave Saigon, Há is heartbroken to say goodbye to everything that she grew up with. But one must leave to survive the war.
Several thousands of families turned into refugees as they arrived at different countries. Há's family chooses Alabama where they are instantly met with racism and hostility. To be accepted, they are forced to swap their religion. Há is constantly bullied and looked down upon by her classmates, so she eats in the bathroom and tries to be invisible. Being strangers in a foreign land fills them with homesickness, leaving them craving for their food, people and mostly the sense of belonging. Although the book carries a sombre tone, Há's narration adds an element of innocence to it, making it less disheartening. I couldn't help but wish for Há to have her desired and loved papayas. Although written mostly for the younger audience, this book suits perfectly well for every age group. It's heartwarming, saddening and filled with hope that the little one carries throughout the novel. Lai shows how wars can snatch away the lives of people who have worked hard to nurture it and of unspeakable pain that comes from longing for their motherland . It's absolutely heartbreaking.
Chose this as part of #bookssansborders where we are reading from SEA this month.
"Oh, my daughter, at times you have to fight, but preferably not with your fists."
Occasionally, things are best explained and felt when it's written from a child's perspective. Inside Out and Back Again is a free verse novel written by Thanhha Lai based on her own experiences when her family moved to the States during The Vietnam War. I knew very little about the war itself so in many ways, this book proved to be educational. Set in 1975, the protagonist of the book named Há speaks of her family fleeing from Saigon. At just ten years old, this child learns about the war through observation and trepidation. With her father's disappearence all those years ago, her mother becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, tending to four children. When it is decided for them to leave Saigon, Há is heartbroken to say goodbye to everything that she grew up with. But one must leave to survive the war.
Several thousands of families turned into refugees as they arrived at different countries. Há's family chooses Alabama where they are instantly met with racism and hostility. To be accepted, they are forced to swap their religion. Há is constantly bullied and looked down upon by her classmates, so she eats in the bathroom and tries to be invisible. Being strangers in a foreign land fills them with homesickness, leaving them craving for their food, people and mostly the sense of belonging. Although the book carries a sombre tone, Há's narration adds an element of innocence to it, making it less disheartening. I couldn't help but wish for Há to have her desired and loved papayas. Although written mostly for the younger audience, this book suits perfectly well for every age group. It's heartwarming, saddening and filled with hope that the little one carries throughout the novel. Lai shows how wars can snatch away the lives of people who have worked hard to nurture it and of unspeakable pain that comes from longing for their motherland . It's absolutely heartbreaking.
Chose this as part of #bookssansborders where we are reading from SEA this month.