A Two-Placed Heart

Gr 4-7–Writing from the perspective of 12-year-old Bom, Nguyen tenderly crafts a lightly fictionalized memoir in verse. It’s Nashville in 1996, and Bom can’t understand how her little sister Bo considers herself only American, not Vietnamese; she seems to have completely forgotten their life in Vietnam before they immigrated to the U.S. with their parents. In an effort to help her sister understand the split loyalties of herself and her parents, Bom uses her father’s old typewriter to write poetry that captures stories from their past. Briefly covering her father’s and mother’s backgrounds as well as her own growing up, Bom encourages her sister to appreciate their heritage while simultaneously coming to grips with her own shifting identity. Sweet moments of family and friendship alternate with heartbreaking stories of suffering and loss. Bom’s adjustment to life in America isn’t easy with her introverted, creative nature, different from her sister’s bold, brave way of making herself at home anywhere. Prejudice, stereotypes, and bullying come into play as do mentions of war and torture (not graphic in any way, but mentioned). Also included are an author’s note, glossary, family tree, and pronunciation guide of Vietnamese terms.