During the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Van wakes up one morning to find that her mother, her sisters Loan and Lan, and her brother Tuan are gone. They have escaped the new communist regime that has taken over Ho Chi Minh City for freedom in the West. Four-year-old Van is too young--and her grandmother is too old--for such a dangerous journey by boat, so the two have been left behind. Once settled in North America, her parents will eventually be able to sponsor them, and Van and her grandmother will fly away to safety. But in the meantime, Van is forced to work hard to satisfy her aunt and uncle, who treat her like an unwelcome servant. And at school she must learn that calling attention to herself is a mistake, especially when the bully who has been tormenting her turns out to be the son of a military policeman. Van Ho's true story strikes at the heart and will resonate with so many families affected by war, where so many children are forced to live under or escape from repressive regimes.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised by the Hackmatack Children's Choice Award. It was recognised by the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award. It also was recognised in the 13 Canadian Middle Grade Books to Watch for this Fall category by CBC Books. It was recognised in the 12 Canadian Books to Commemorate Remembrance Day category by CBC Books. Also it was recognised in the Best Canadian YA and Children's Literature category by CBC Books. It was recognised in the Best Books for Kids & Teens category by the Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. It was recognised by the Usbby Oustanding International Books. It was recognised in the Middle School / YA category by the Ncta Freeman Book Award. It was recognised in the Notable Books for a Global Society category by the Ila Awards.

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 152 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by Pajama Press .

Born in Vietnam, Van (Vanessa Gatensby) now lives in Brampton, Ontario, with her husband and two children, and has a successful career working for one of the largest medical device companies in the world. Van thinks back to the days when she was forced to get up at 5:00 a. m. to work on the spindle, and she is grateful that she's never had to make the tough decisions her mom and dad were confronted with. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's award-winning books for young people include Last Airlift, a Red Cedar Information Book Award winner and OLA Red Maple Honour Book. Its sequel, One Step at a Time, won the OLA Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award. Her YA novel Dance of the Banished is a Junior Library Guild Selection for 2015. In 2008, in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the development Ukraine's culture, Marsha was awarded the Order of Princess Olha. She lives in Brantford, Ontario. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's award-winning books for young people include Last Airlift, a Red Cedar Information Book Award winner and OLA Red Maple Honour Book. Its sequel, One Step at a Time, won the OLA Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award. Her YA novel Dance of the Banished is a Junior Library Guild Selection for 2015. In 2008, in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the development Ukraine's culture, Marsha was awarded the Order of Princess Olha. She lives in Brantford, Ontario.