Beth NguyenReseñas

*a powerful written novel about a Vietnamese refugee and her mother who stayed behind in Vietnam
*emotional and heartfelt
*highly recommend

audio nonfiction/memoir (5.5 hrs, read by the author) - author reflects on growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a Vietnamese refugee with her refugee dad and sister, white stepmom, step- and half-siblings, and various aunts/uncles/relatives; and later meeting the mother left behind in Vietnam who later immigrated to Boston and who remained in many ways an unfamiliar stranger. She also talks about how her perceptions of Vietnamese-American self-identity have shifted through the years, including after she became a mother of two mixed-race boys and through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Really lovely writing; I enjoyed listening to the author's calm voice reflecting on her family relationships and her feelings about being a refugee, among other interesting details. I look forward to reading more from this author.