A review by alongapath
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại

4.0

In this short, easy-to-read collection of poems, 10 year old Ha recounts one year of upheaval in her life as she is forced to leave Saigon upon the invasion of North Vietnam. She and her family escape on an over-crowded navy ship one day before the fall of Saigon and they take shelter at the US naval base on Guam. Eventually, her family of five arrive in the US as refugees and are taken in by a generous sponsor in Alabama where they finally settle, find jobs and go to school. The one-year transition is unbelievably difficult and painful for young Ha, as she experiences the true loss of her father, the American hatred of the Vietnamese, the violence and bullying from being different from others and the feeling of stupidity as she struggles to get a basic understanding of English. But she also learns to admire the strength and calm of her mother, develops friends and allies and is able to look past the torturous present towards a hopeful future.
I was struck to the point of tears with Ha's acceptance of the changes, by the depth that hateful actions had on her and by the generosity of neighbours. This is a book that makes you reflect on your own charmed life and wonder if you have done enough for those who have had to give up everything in order to live one more day.