5 stars

I loved this and cannot wait to read more from this author.

Anh, Thanh, and Minh head from Vietnam to Hong Kong, and their parents and remaining siblings are supposed to be close behind, but it becomes clear very early in the novel that while those family members will absolutely join the three, it won't be in the way that any had planned. The first group to leave make it safely to their first destination, but they discover quickly that Anh will be taking on a permanent caretaking role for all of them as the rest of the family has perished on their journey.

What's fascinating is that while the rest of the family is no longer living, they remain very much present both in the characters' hearts and minds but also in the actual narration. While this is a moving story with great characterization, for me, Pin's most indelible feat is the unconventional structure. Readers benefit from many voices and perspectives, but there's also a sense of the disjointed nature of traumatic processing and the simultaneous way in which certain experiences never leave us and in fact shape us throughout generations of our families.

Based on the description, I was interested in this listen (the audio is fantastic), but I was not expecting to be moved in this way. I'll be recommending this one widely, especially to folks who can really appreciate the use of structure to reinforce theme.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy of this ALC.

"Knowledge allows remembering, and remembering is honoring."

Ahn, along with her brothers Thanh and Minh, begin a journey to Hong Kong after American troops leave Vietnam. Expecting to reunite with the rest of their family, they find that they are now all that remains and Ahn is left in charge of her brothers. They are admitted into the UK as one of the 10,000 "boat people" allowed by Margaret Thatcher - but not without struggles and opposition.

I loved the structure of this novel. Not only were there past and present timelines, there were also musings from deceased ancestors and non-fiction article interludes. This setup allowed me to learn the facts from this period in history and generational trauma while also listening to a generational story and feeling the emotions of this refugee story. I appreciated learning about Operation Wandering Soul, Margaret Thatcher's immigration policies, and Koh Kra Island massacres - these are all pieces of history that I hadn't studied before, and I'm truly glad that I read this book.

Read if you:
- enjoyed the structure of No Land to Light On
- love immigrant and generational stories
- want to learn more about "boat people" and Margaret Thatcher's immigration policies
- want to support a BIPOC debut

What a beautiful book.
What an incredible writing style.
What an emotional read.


OMG.


Add this book to your TBR right now! It’s a little over 200 pages and it’ll rip your heart out.


The year is 1978. Anh, Minh, and Thanh leave the rest of their family to go to Hong Kong, and from there, travel to the US in search of the American Dream.


The boat where their parents and other siblings were doesn’t make it, and the three of them are now orphaned. Anh is sixteen and she becomes the caretaker of her young brother.


They spend years in a refugee campus waiting for any country to take them in.


They finally receive the news that they can start a life in the UK. It’s a clean start, and they can honor their family's sacrifices by trying to have a good life.


But of course, it’s not that easy.


I felt so attached to these characters, I was really hoping they’d have a good life. And I think above all, this story is real. It’s relatable. There’s pain, there’s racism, but there’s also love, and new beginnings.