Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Thanhha Lai's, Inside Out & Back Again so I knew I would love this book about a perky totally Americanized girl (Vietnamese-American), age 12, who must leave the comfort of her home in Southern California for a summer in Vietnam with her father and grandmother to find out where her MIA grandfather is or any information about what happened to him in the Vietnam War. Mai's (Mia) voice is so authentic- she is funny, angry, honest, insufferable and just so much fun! I enjoyed her drama, her life, her friends at home & in Vietnam, and she taught me so much about the Vietnam War, the food, flowers, & scenery in Vietnam! Her text messages & phone calls with her mother who stays home are funny, irreverent & as time goes on every understanding. I loved the families in both places, their hopes, dreams, and culture. Highly recommended read for young and old alike!

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