Inside Out & Back Again

Last updated
Inside Out & Back Again
Inside Out & Back Again.jpg
Front cover of the book
Author Thanhha Lai
Cover artistZdenko Bašić, Mauel Šumberac, Ray Shappell
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical Fiction
PublishedSeptember 22, 2011
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages260
ISBN 978-0-06-196278-3
OCLC 606403465

Inside Out & Back Again is a verse novel, written in free verse by Thanhha Lai. [1] The book was awarded the 2011 US National Book Award for Young People's Literature [2] and one of the two Newbery Honors. [3] The novel was based on her first year in the United States as a ten-year-old girl who didn't speak English, in 1975.

Contents

Plot summary

In February 1975, Hà Kim and her family celebrate the new year in South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. In the events leading to the Fall of Saigon, Hà leaves school a month early, the search for her missing-in-action soldier father continues, and everyone prepares for evacuation since the government of the North is approaching Saigon. On April 30, Hà and her family flee on a navy ship, arriving in Guam on May 28, where they are sheltered in a refugee camp.

On the Fourth of July, many other refugees are asked to write where they want to go. Hà's mother initially chooses France to live with a distant cousin, until the person behind her suggests the United States, stating that if her children are smart, the government will give them a scholarship.

After they are flown to Florida, they are sponsored by a cowboy, who drives them to his home in Alabama and allows them to stay there, and eventually at the house next to his.

In school, a boy Hà dubs "Pink Boy" breaks their friendship, due to Hà solving his math problem and Pink Boy calling her a Pancake Face (and Hà

On Christmas Eve, Hà's uncle responds to the letter that her mother sent in August, asking about her husband's whereabouts. With no answer, he has nothing to say; the book says, "it would be obvious he would know nothing more".

The family then holds an impromptu funeral for Hà's father, and the book concludes on Tết, with Hà talking about things she wants to happen in 1976.

Characters

Hà Kim - the protagonist of the book. She is a ten-year-old and a Buddhist.

Khôi - one of Hà's older brothers. He is a fourteen-year-old and the second youngest.

- one of Hà's older brothers. He is eighteen and is a huge fan of Bruce Lee and martial arts. By the end of the book, he goes by "Vu Lee".

Quang - Hà's oldest brother. He is twenty-one and a student in engineering. He is decently erudite in speaking English and became a translator for the other refugees during their stay in Guam.

Hà's mother - She is a war wife and a widow, who has sold her amethyst ring. She originates from Northern Vietnam.

Hà's father - Hà's deceased father. He was a soldier for Vietnam and originates from the Nỏth.

Miss Xinh - Hà's teacher in Vietnam.

TiTi - Hà's friend who leaves to escape Vietnam in Vũng Tàu.

Pink Boy - Hà's bully. By the end of the book, he stops bullying Hà.

Origin

Thanhha Lai had been struggling for fifteen years in order to describe Hà's journey from Vietnam to the United States of America because Hà's journey was special—the fictional character was based on Lai's own experience at the end of the Vietnam War. To avoid embellishing her memory and risking the ire of the family that was with her, Lai decided to tell the story of Hà instead. She attempted prose from the first person and the short, detached style of Hemingway. In the end, Lai used free verse because "these phrases reflected what Vietnamese sounded like". [4]

According to Lai her original title was Buddhists in Alabama, until she wrote "Inside Out", and her editor suggested adding "& Back Again".

Critical reception

Jennifer Rothschild described “Each passage is given a date so readers can easily follow the progression of time. Sensory language describing the rich smells and tastes of Vietnam draws readers in and contrasts with Hà's perceptions of bland American food, and the immediacy of the narrative will appeal to those who do not usually enjoy historical fiction.” Publishers Weekly claimed that “Lai gives insight into cultural and physical landscapes, as well as a finely honed portrait of Hà's family as they face difficult choices ... finally regains academic and social confidence. An incisive portrait of human resilience.” [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngo Dinh Diem</span> Founder and President of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963

Ngô Đình Diệm was a South Vietnamese politician who was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954–1955) and later the first president of South Vietnam from 1955 until his capture and assassination during the CIA-backed 1963 South Vietnamese coup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Nhu</span> First Lady of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963

Trần Lệ Xuân, more popularly known in English as Madame Nhu, was the de facto First Lady of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963. She was the wife of Ngô Đình Nhu, who was the brother and chief advisor to President Ngô Đình Diệm. As Diệm was a lifelong bachelor and because she and her family lived in Independence Palace together with him, she was considered to be the first lady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Năm Cam</span> Vietnamese mobster

Trương Văn Cam, known by the sobriquet Năm Cam was a notorious Vietnamese mobster who is often called the "Godfather" of Vietnam. Known for building and running a criminal enterprise revolving around gambling dens, hotels, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking and restaurants that fronted for brothels, during his heyday, Năm Cam was considered one of the most powerful mob bosses in Vietnam, and was said to have attained influence that even extended into the ranks of Vietnam's Communist Party which he used to his advantage by bribing law enforcement and government officials to protect his lucrative enterprise and cover up his murders of other criminal rivals in Saigon that challenged his reign. In fact, his connection and ties with the Vietnam's Communist Party was so tight that during his trial, 153 other people that were tried with him were high ranking officers of the Communist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kieu Chinh</span> Vietnamese-American actress

Kieu Chinh is a Vietnamese-American actress, producer, humanitarian, lecturer and philanthropist.

The Vietnamese term bụi đời refers to vagrants in the city or, trẻ bụi đời to street children or juvenile gangs. From 1989, following a song in the musical Miss Saigon, "Bui-Doi" came to popularity in Western lingo, referring to Amerasian children left behind in Vietnam after the Vietnam War.

USS <i>Skagit</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Skagit (AKA-105/LKA-105) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1949 and from 1950 to 1969. She was scrapped in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vũ Văn Mẫu</span> Last Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1975

Vũ Văn Mẫu was a South Vietnamese diplomat and politician, who was the last Prime Minister of South Vietnam, serving under President Dương Văn Minh's leadership in 1975. He held the position for only two days before the collapse and surrender of South Vietnam on 30 April 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation New Life</span> Evacuation of Vietnamese refugees in 1975

Operation New Life was the care and processing on Guam of Vietnamese refugees evacuated before and after the Fall of Saigon, the closing day of the Vietnam War. More than 111,000 of the evacuated 130,000 Vietnamese refugees were transported to Guam, where they were housed in tent cities for a few weeks while being processed for resettlement. The great majority of the refugees were resettled in the United States. A few thousand were resettled in other countries or chose to return to Vietnam on the vessel Thuong Tin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khánh Ly</span> Vietnamese singer

Khánh Ly is a Vietnamese-American singer. She performed many songs written by Vietnamese composer Trịnh Công Sơn and rose to fame in the 1960s. She married South Vietnam journalist Nguyễn Hoàng Đoan in 1975.

USS <i>Litchfield County</i>

USS Litchfield County (LST-901) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Litchfield County, Connecticut, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

is a Vietnamese given name, male or female, meaning "river".

Thanhha Lai is a Vietnamese-American writer of children's literature. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and a Newbery Honor for her debut novel, Inside Out & Back Again, which was published by HarperCollins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanh Hà (singer)</span> Vietnamese singer (born 1969)

Trương Minh Hà, known under the stage name of Thanh Hà, is a Vietnamese American singer.

<i>Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass</i> 2015 Vietnamese film by Victor Vu

Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass is a 2015 Vietnamese film. It was adapted from the novel of the same name by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh. It was directed by Victor Vũ and produced by Galaxy Media & Entertainment Saigon Concert, Phương Nam Film, PS Việt Nam and K+ Television channel. It was premiere in Cannes Film Festival 2015 and released in theaters on 2 October 2015. It was selected as the Vietnamese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated. On December 5 during the 19th Vietnam Film Festival, the movie was awarded the golden lotus.

<i>The Refugees</i> (short story collection) 2017 short story collection by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Refugees is a 2017 short story collection by Viet Thanh Nguyen. It is Nguyen's first published short story collection and his first book after winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Sympathizer. The eight-story collection, set in different locations in California and Vietnam, earned favorable reviews from critics, particularly for offering insight into the lives of migrants like those the book depicts.

<i>Dreamy Eyes</i> (film) 2019 film

Dreamy Eyes is a 2019 Vietnamese drama film directed by Victor Vu. It was selected as the Vietnamese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Hoang Diep Thao</span> Vietnamese businesswoman

Le Hoang Diep Thao is a Vietnamese businesswoman and national leader in Vietnam's coffee industry. Together with her husband Dang Le Nguyen Vu, she co-founded Trung Nguyen Group, the country's foremost coffee producing company and among the best-known café chains nationwide. In 2003 she was directly responsible for developing the firm's G7 instant coffee brand, which has stood among the highest performing coffee trading brands in the region, consumed by in excess of a billion people in 60 countries and territories around the globe. She is currently chairwoman and CEO of TNI King Coffee, headquartered in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoài Linh</span> Vietnamese comedian, actor (1969– )

Võ Nguyễn Hoài Linh, better known by his stage name Hoài Linh, is a Vietnamese-American comedian and actor. A frequent collaborator of Thúy Nga center, he is known for his comedy performances alongside other artists such as Vân Sơn and Chí Tài.

References

  1. "Thanhha Lai - About the Author". HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  2. "2011 National Book Award Winner, Young People's Literature". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  3. "2012 Honor Books". American Library Association. 1999-11-30. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  4. Lai, Thanhha (2013). Inside Out & Back Again. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN   9780061962790.
  5. Reviews, Riverside Public Library