Characters: Hien

Setting: Set during the Vietnam War

Theme: The theme is that to help others, one must keep fighting.

Genre: non- fiction

Summary: The story starts with Hien, living within the village and helping her family with the farm. As it continues, she is hit by a shrapenel

Audience: refugees or immigrants.

Curriculum ties: social issues and adjusting to a new life.

Awards (optional):

Personal response: Reading the images in this book really made me think of how my parents came to this country. How they gave up on everything to live in a more comfortable life. This book has Vietnamese texts and English words. The color in the book is very elaborate and the facial expressions express the concerns of the charactters. I also like how it tries to portray the environment of Vietnam. It shows the relationship of the family members and the culture of relationships within the country. Most of all, it displays the pain of war and how it tears families apart. I highly recommend this book for those who are trying to adjust to their new envionrment. It can make a person think about how like will continue and as long as we fight through the struggle, everything will be alright. ( )