Listen, Slowly
Written by Thanhhà Lại
Published by HarperCollins
A California girl born and raised, Mai can’t wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War.
Mai’s parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn’t know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.
Primary ISBN: 9780062229182
Publication Date: February 2015
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Vietnamese/Vietnamese American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Coming of Age, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Language Ability, Family Relationship: Extended, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Format: Audiobook, Generation: 2nd, Generational Differences, Generational Differences: Language, Identity: Exploration, Identity: Multilingual, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Setting: Home Country, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Intergenerational, Welcoming by Community
Setting: United States (California), Vietnam
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation, Home Country
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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Source: HarperCollins