Ru

This fictionalized memoir records the author’s challenging transition as a child from her life in an affluent family in Vietnam, to a Malaysian refugee camp, and her new life as an immigrant in Quebec, as well as her adult experiences of becoming a mother and her eventual return to Vietnam. Developed as a collection of observations and reflections on a number of topics—in no particular pattern or order— the vignettes address topics of hardship, transition, identity, relationships, and perseverance. This vivid and intimate novel can be used in literature circles or as a novel study to explore themes such as identity and otherness, family life, growing up, and starting life in a new country.