A Year Without Home

Written in free verse and based on her Hmong family’s escape from Laos in May 1975 when the country fell to a communist regime, author V. T. Bidania relates the narrative from the perspective of her oldest sister, Gao Sheng, who was 11 years old at the time. Bidania herself was a few months old as the family escaped their beleaguered country in canoes across the Mekong River into Thailand.

In an age-sensitive manner, Bidania reveals from Gao Sheng’s viewpoint the harrowing circumstances of their escape; the suspicions they encountered; the ways they were cheated by unscrupulous people; the gut-wrenching sense of loss of home, friendships, and the land on which they lived; the boredom of living in two refugee camps—-waiting, always waiting, to return home or to be sponsored to a new country; and the anxiety and excitement of moving to a new land.

In an author’s note, Bidania writes, “The Vietnam War ended decades ago, but unfortunately, at this moment, wars are still happening in every corner of the globe. The lives of millions of families and children will forever be altered by these wars. This is why it is crucial for there to be more books, especially books for young readers, that tell these stories. Hmong children and other refugee children need these books as mirrors, and those who haven’t experienced war or displacement need them as windows. Books about war and refugees have the power to build empathy, curiosity, and awareness in young people.”

Christian parents might want to spend time reading A Year Without Home with their children ages 10 and older and consider what they can do as a family to learn about and support refugees and other newcomers to their country. (Nancy Paulsen Books)