Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction 4/6
Student Reviewer: Jason G.
Mai, A Twelve-year-old girl
who finished 6th grade, got hit with the news that she would go to Vietnam for
six weeks. She did not appeal to this idea and attempted to counter-argue it
with her parents but got madder. On the plane, her grandmother, Bà, tried to
get Mai to stop resisting by saying, “Mai, try to understand that this trip is
for you too. To see where you are from...” Mai, still in resistance, screams
into the airplane pillow. As Mai and Mua, her father, discuss the importance of
her going, Mua hisses, “Bà thinks Õng might be alive; that’s why.” Õng is Mai’s
grandfather, and Bà seeks to uncover during their trip to Vietnam. Mua says,
“As soon as she accepts that Õng is truly gone, you both can go home. Mai, I
would just like you to be with her until she accepts.”
I can relate to Mai because,
like Mai stated, “What’s so important? All her children and grandchildren are
in California. Her life is there. My life is there.” I would also be
short-tempered if I went on a trip for the sole purpose of learning more about
family. This book is well-crafted for its ability to engage with readers who
have encountered similar cultural challenges. I recommend this book to people
who find the complexities of adolescence in a multicultural world stimulating.
This book is well-written and shows a heartfelt and insightful exploration of
cultural identity and the complexities of family heritage.
