Overview

Through the ups and downs of life, whom do you count on the most? Twelve-year-old Blong does not have much, but he has his older sister Ka-Ying. Now, their world is suddenly and forever changed. Homes are abandoned. People disappear overnight. Any new friendship is temporary. The year is 1975, and South Vietnam has fallen to North Vietnam. The Vietnam War is finally over. In the neighboring country of Laos, the Royal Lao Army is defeated by the Communist Pathet Lao. That civil war, too, ends. American soldiers who were fighting in the Secret War in Laos are returning home to America. The Hmong, who were recruited by the CIA to fight in the Secret War, are now going to be persecuted and punished for helping the Americans. Blong, his sister, and their grandparents must find a way to escape from Laos. The Communist Pathet Lao is celebrating their victory, but already there are rumors of retribution against the Hmong.

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9781981229314

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May Y. Yang is a Hmong young adult writer and educator. She taught high school English for nineteen years, seven in Minnesota and twelve in Florida. Many of her writings reflect the Asian American and immigrant experience, especially that of Hmong Americans. Yang believes that everyone has a story worth sharing. She enjoys learning about how other people navigate life's journey and the wisdom they have gained along the way. As a classroom teacher, she had the joy of seeing firsthand the importance of books in helping students to become critical thinkers and to better understand others. She hopes that her book Leaving Laos will, in some small way, give readers insights into why many Hmong people came to America.

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