Leaving Vietnam

Summary

Tuan Ngo is just a small boy when he and his father leave their home in the middle of the night. Bent over like cranes, they run into the woods to meet others in a circle of trees. Everyone is wearing black so they will not be seen by the Viet Cong soldiers. Tuan Ngo's uncle leads the group to where a boat is waiting to carry them away from Vietnam. They want to escape to America where they will have enough to eat and can live in freedom. But before they can get there, they will have to endure many days in a cramped fishing boat, and many months in a refugee camp. This is the real-life story of a young Vietnamese refugee-one of the "boat people" you've heard about in the news. Acclaimed children's author Sarah S. Kilborne tells Tuan Ngo's story in the simple voice of child. With Jeff Goodman's gentle narration, the result is both personal and powerful.