Inside Out and Back Again 再见木瓜树

没有人会相信这些话但是有时候我宁愿选择住在战争的西贡而不是和平的阿拉巴马在她十岁的生命当中，金河只知道西贡这个地方：市场里的兴奋喧嚣、传统节庆的喜乐、她与好友的温暖情谊……以及她心爱的美丽木瓜树。但是，战火已经逼近家门。随着西贡的陷落，金河和家人被迫逃离家乡，趁夜登船驶向未来。抵达美国阿拉巴马之后，金河发现这是一个完全不同的世界：邻居的冷漠疏离、食物的单调乏味、城市风景的奇特怪异……却也因而激发全家人的生命强度与韧性。小女孩踏上寻找新家园的旅程，在不长不短的一年里，她走过了变化、梦想、哀伤和疗愈，为自己的生命故事谱出了动人的新乐章。无论身在何处，永远相信希望！IwilladmitstraightawaythatIamnotafanofnovelswritteninverse.ItisalltherageinYAliteraturerightnow,andIhavebeenstudiouslyavoidingmostofthembecausefrankly,Ijustdon'tgetit.AfterreadingInsideOut&BackAgainIthinkIambeginningtoseethevalueinthisformatbecausethisnoveljustblewmeaway.IntellingthestoryofHaandherflighttoAmericaafterthefallofSaigon,theauthorcreatedimagessovividandelicitedemotionssopowerfulthatforthefirsttimeIthinkItrulyunderstoodwhatitmusthavebeenliketobeononeofthoseboatsthatIhadonlybeforeseeninnewsfootage.Idon'tthinkthiscouldhavebeenachievedinastandardnovelformat.Inverse,IcouldseethebeautyofHa'spapayatreeandfeelherfearofwalkingintothefourthgradewithpracticallynoEnglish.Icouldseethehumorandsadnessinthefamily'seffortstofitintoAmericanlifeandfeeloutragedattheproblemstheyfaced.IcouldalsoappreciatethewisdomandbraveryshownbyHaandhermotherastheycametotermswiththelossofafatherandhusbandallthewhilestrugglingtofitintoaculturethatcouldn'thavebeenmoreforeign.WhenHafinallyadoptshermother'sadviceandbeginstoacceptthingsas"notthesame,butnotbad"itisapowerfulandhopefulmoment.Theauthor'sabilitytoportrayHawithsuchdepthoffeelingiswhatwillengagereaders.Thisisamustreadbothasameanstointroduceanhistoricalperiodthatisgivenlittleattentioninthisagegroupandalsojustbecauseit'sacompellingpieceoffiction.