Ultimately, she will have to reconcile the old ways with the new, and decide for herself the kind of woman she wants to be. From showers and smoke alarms to shopping, dating, and her family’s new religion, Mai finds life in America complicated and confusing. Her cousins, now known as Heather and Lisa, try to help Mai look less like a refugee, but following them means disobeying Grandma and Uncle. But Mai will also feel the pressures of life as a teenager. They will discover the privileges of their new life: medical care, abundant food, and an apartment all their own.
In America, they will be reunited with their only remaining relatives, Mai’s uncle and his family. In 1995, ten years after their arrival at the camp, thirteen-year-old Mai Yang and her grandmother are about to experience that dream. ” -Alison Follos, School Library Journalįor the Hmong people living in overcrowded refugee camps in Thailand, America is a dream: the land of peace and plenty. “This bittersweet story balances social and intellectual pursuits against the strained relations of a family tapping roots into a new homeland, and it shows the emotions behind weighing cultural affiliations against the sway of progress and prosperity.
0 kommentar(er)
