July 23, 2024 by Charlesbridge
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this novel in verse, Viva, her mother, and her sister Anna have left Uganda in October of 1972 when Idi Amin expelled Ugandans of Indian descent from the country. Her father is stuck in Kampala, and they don't have much news of him while they are waiting at the RAF base in Greenham, England. The plan is to move to Canada, but this can't happen until the family is reunited. Viva misses her father, and is angry that she has had to leave home, especially since the plans for the future have been put on hold. She dislikes the word "refugee" that she hears frequently, and is trying to learn more English by hunting down a mini Oxford English Dictionary. Her favorite singer is Diana Ross, and she tries to use music to keep her spirits up. She is befriended by Mark and Maggie McKay, as well as some young serviceman. When it becomes clear that the father won't be joining the family, the are moved off the base to live with Varun Uncle and Meena Auntie (no relation), and Viva has to go to school. Tensions are high in the UK about the influx of Asian immigrants, and there are protests by the National Front, as well as constant acts of aggression. After Viva's family moves into their own small apartment, a brick is thrown through a window. When a telegram arrives saying that the father is on his way, there is a brief moment of hope until the family realizes that the father should have arrived already. Viva decides to take off to London to find her father, but is unable to locate him, and gets into a lot of trouble. It turns out that her father's travel coucher had expired, and he ends up flying to the US. Viva's mother is working in a photo developing lab, so money is very tight, and tickets are expensive. Eventually, Viva's family moves back nearer to the base, and she is glad to be closer to Mark and Maggie. When the father is injured in a car accident, it becomes necessary to travel to him, but there's only enough resources for two tickets. Anna and the mother go, and Viva stays behind with Mrs. Robinson, who had volunteered at the base and is kinder than Viva had realized. They make a life together while Viva's family settles in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where they are the only brown people. In mid 1973, Viva is able to travel to the US thanks to the kindness of one of the serviceman.
Strengths: The parallels between Idi Amin's "Uganda for Ugandans", the National Front's "Britain for the British", and similar attempts around the world to limit refugees make this an important book for young readers to meet. I loved that the beginnings of the chapters had pictures of various places in the story from the time it was set. Viva's family has a plan, but like so many plans, not everything conspires to work for them. The problems that the father faces are heart breaking as he tries to reunite with his family. They are fortunate to have a support base, and while they experience a lot of racial discrimination, they also do encounter some kindnesses. There are some nice touches of ordinary social history, like Viva's love of Diana Ross. It is good that we are seeing a wider variety of immigrant experiences in middle grade literature.
Weaknesses: Since I have poor recollection of names in books, I thought this was a sequel to ORANGE FOR THE SUNSETS (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2019/04/mmgm-orange-for-sunsets.html), but it involves a different family. I know that both books borrow a bit from the author's own experiences, but I would have like to follow Asha's family from Uganda. The in verse format limits the amount of details, but does showcase Viva's emotions nicely.
What I really think: This is a great story for readers who were enthralled by books like Yang's Finally Seen, Dobbs' The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, and Dassu's Boy, Everywhere.
September 24, 2024 by Tu Books
ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Phuong was born in Vietnam in 1984, and came to the US with her parents and younger sister Bo in the early 1990s. Her father was a spy for the Republic of Vietnam, and was sent to a reeducation camp for seven years. Things were very bad for his entire family, with several of his siblings being killed. A great Aunt in Texas told him about the Orderly Departure Program, and he applies for it, but by the time he is accepted, he has a wife, Phuong, and another child on the way. At some point, the Aunt is no longer their sponsor, but a woman named Martha Bess in Tennessee is. Eventually, the family ends up there. The mother gets a job sewing uniforms in a factory, and the father works as a valet. Even though Phuong misses her family in Vietnam, she has a found family in Tennessee, with Pat and Miss Helen acting like a supportive uncle and Aunt. The language is somewhat difficult, but eventually Phuong is irritated that her father makes her and Bo speak Vietnamese at home. She's also angry with her sister, who doesn't feel at all Vietnamese, while Phuong is struggling with her personal identity. The father eventually goes to college, and the family learns to adjust to their life in the US.
This is a fictionalized memoir in verse, based on the author's own experiences. It goes back and forth in time, with the chapters often labels with when the action is occurring. This is a good read like for Kuo's In a Beautiful Country, Faruqi's Unsettled, or Lai's Inside Out and Back Again.
Both of these sound excellent. I'm adding them to my reading list. I wish my crew read more historical stories.
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