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Inside Out and Back Again
Summary
Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award!
Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee—fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama—this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration.
Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope—toward America.
This moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus which proclaimed it "enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny."
An author's note explains how and why Thanhha Lai translated her personal experiences into Hà's story. This updated digital edition also includes an interview with the author, an activity you can do with your family, tips on writing poetry, and discussion questions.
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Inside Out and Back Again - Thanhha Lai
Publisher
PART I
Saigon
1975: Year of the Cat
t,
the first day
of the lunar calendar.
t
we eat sugary lotus seeds
and glutinous rice cakes.
We wear all new clothes,
even underneath.
Mother warns
how we act today
foretells the whole year.
Everyone must smile
no matter how we feel.
No one can sweep,
for why sweep away hope?
No one can splash water,
for why splash away joy?
Today
we all gain one year in age,
no matter the date we were born.
t, our New Year’s,
doubles as everyone’s birthday.
Now I am ten, learning
to embroider circular stitches,
to calculate fractions into percentages,
to nurse my papaya tree to bear many fruits.
But last night I pouted
when Mother insisted
one of my brothers
must rise first
this morning
to bless our house
because only male feet
can bring luck.
An old, angry knot
expanded in my throat.
I decided
to wake before dawn
and tap my big toe
to the tile floor
first.
Not even Mother,
sleeping beside me, knew.
February 11
T t
Inside Out
Every new year Mother visits
the I Ching Teller of Fate.
This year he predicts
our lives will twist inside out.
Maybe soldiers will no longer
patrol our neighborhood,
maybe I can jump rope
after dark,
maybe the whistles
that tell Mother
to push us under the bed
will stop screeching.
But I heard
on the playground
this year’s bánh ch 
ng,
t,
will be smeared in blood.
The war is coming
closer to home.
February 12
Kim Hà
My name is Hà.
Brother Quang remembers
I was as red and fat
as a baby hippopotamus
when he first saw me,
inspiring the name
Hà Mã,
River Horse.
screams, Hà Ya,
and makes me jump
every time
he breaks wood or bricks
in imitation of Bruce Lee.
Brother Khôi calls me
Mother’s Tail
because I’m always
three steps from her.
I can’t make my brothers
go live elsewhere,
but I can
hide their sandals.
We each have but one pair,
much needed
during this dry season
when the earth stings.
Mother tells me
to ignore my brothers.
We named you Kim H 
,
after the Golden (Kim) River (Hà),
where Father and I
once strolled in the evenings.
My parents had no idea
what three older brothers
can do
to the simple name
Hà.
Mother tells me,
They tease you
because they adore you.
She’s wrong,
but I still love
being near her, even more than I love
my papaya tree.
I will offer her
its first fruit.
Every day
Papaya Tree
It grew from a seed
I flicked into
the back garden.
A seed like
a fish eye,
slippery
shiny
black.
The tree has grown
twice as tall
as I stand
on tippy toes.
Brother Khôi spotted
the first white blossom.
Four years older,
he can see higher.
later found
a baby papaya
the size of a fist
clinging to the trunk.
At eighteen,
he can see that much higher.
Brother Quang is oldest,
twenty-one and studying engineering.
Who knows what he will notice
before me?
I vow
to rise first every morning
to stare at the dew
on the green fruit
shaped like a lightbulb.
I will be the first
to witness its ripening.
Mid-February
TiTi Waves Good-bye
My best friend TiTi
is crying hard,
snotting the hem
of her pink fluffy blouse.
Her two brothers
also are sniffling
inside their car
packed to the roof
with suitcases.
TiTi shoves into my hand
a tin of flower seeds
we gathered last fall.
We hoped to plant them
together.
She waves from the back window
of their rabbit-shaped car.
Her tears mix with long strands of hair,
long hair I wish I had.
I would still be standing there
crying and waving to nothing
if Brother Khôi hadn’t come
to take my hand.
They’re heading to 
he says,
where the rich go
to flee Vietnam
on cruise ships.
I’m glad we’ve become poor
so we can stay.
Early March
Missing in Action
Father left home
on a navy mission
on this day
nine years ago
when I was almost one.
He was captured
on Route 1
an hour south of the city
by moped.
That’s all we know.
This day
Mother prepares an altar
to chant for his return,
offering fruit,
incense,
tuberoses,
and glutinous rice.
She displays his portrait
t
the year he disappeared.
How peaceful he looks,
smiling,
peacock tails
at the corners
of his eyes.
Each of us bows
and wishes
and hopes
and prays.
Everything on the altar
remains for the day
except the portrait.
Mother locks it away
as soon as her chant ends.
She cannot bear
to look into Father’s
forever-young
eyes.
March 10
Mother’s Days
On weekdays
Mother’s a secretary
in a navy office,
trusted to count out
salaries in cash
at the end of each month.
At night
she stays up late
designing and cutting
baby clothes
to give to seamstresses.
A few years ago
she made enough money
to consider
buying a car.
On weekends
she takes me to market stalls,
dropping off the clothes
and trying to
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Reviews
Ever read a book and feel your view point shift, like taking a step to the side and seeing the world from slightly different angle. This book. Told in short free-style poetry, we follow a ten-year old Vietnamese girl as she and her family are evacuated from Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and sent as Refugees to Alabama, in 1975. Viewing our world from her eyes shifted something inside me, a small something, but I know I finished the book a different person then when I started.Looking at one’s own culture and country from other’s eyes can be jarring. It is vital, however, for growth. And seeing one’s culture through the eyes of a hurt and bewildered child is particularly eye-opening. It gives one a change to examine prejudices and ideas, to ponder them anew. For children, I would recommend, although only if an adult reads with. There are some strong and hard truths about the world. But there are some great lessons to – particularly about how to treat someone who is different from you. In this day and age, that is a valuable lesson.
A girl and her family are refugees from Vietnam and eventually immigrate to America. There, she, her three brothers, and her mother are placed in Alabama where they temporarily live with a host family. They experience everything from learning a new language, prejudices from adults and children, and the cultural boundaries between Vietnamese to Americans. As time passes, Ha and her family feel more and more welcomed into their foreign home.
Beautiful, painfully real.
This was a really good book!
Just absolutely marvelous!
I really enjoyed this book told by a 10-year-old Vietnamese girl, Ha, who, along with her family, had to flee Saigon in 1975 during the Vietnam War. Her family decided to go to America where they had to have a sponsor. A man from Alabama (much to his wife's chagrin!) chose to sponsor the whole family, even though he really only wanted a young man to work for him. Ha tells of the difficulties that she has at school and how the community has so much trouble accepting them. However, as time goes by, they all begin to acclimate to their situations and learn to enjoy life again. This book is recommended for Grades 4-8, and I can see that it would be very informative (It informed me!). And it reads very fast because it is written in verse (I thought that might throw me off at first but it certainly did not.) It is also based on the author's own experience of coming to America from Vietnam and living in Alabama. I highly recommend this book for any age reader! :)
The story of a family fleeing Vietnam during the war, told in verse. I found both of these things very unique, especially for the target age.The refugee type story is universal, spreading itself through history and yet the emotion of it is captured well enough here to make the reader feel the uniqueness of this particular situation, in this point in time. It is important to feel the emotion and struggle of the characters in order to best understand them and their behaviors as their stories progress, and you certainly can do that here.A must have for young lovers of history and for the emotional story of family and togetherness.
I'm not sure who could read this without getting emotional. Good stories written about children have a way of capturing the what kids feel so deeply and this one was amazing. I teared up on more than one occasion, and even had trouble with my dinner after reading a particular scene with her brother on the boat (I wound up not eating my chicken last night, couldn't do it). From there it was heartbreaking, but still managed to make me smile. Especially the sections about English rules. Lovely, lovely book. Well worth a read.
Highly recommended
Interesting book
Beautiful short verse book about a young girl born in Vietnam, who leaves with much of her family, as Saigon falls to the North, and her difficulties adjusting to life in the US.
The prose of this book is truly beautiful. This would be a great book to use for a historical fiction lesson.
I liked this book very much. The characters were extremely believable and well developed. Additionally this book really pushed the readers to think about tough issues and broaden their perspectives. One way that the author developed the characters was by showing their growth throughout the journey of adjusting to a new life. Not only did the main character experience realistic changes and development, all of her family who were the main characters were developed as well. Each character stayed true to themselves throughout the entirety of the book and went through what I thought were very realistic up's and down's given their situation. This book pushes readers throughout and in so many different ways which really were interesting and thought provoking. For example, the story shows the trials and tribulations a family goes through moving to a completely different part of the world and many of these things children do not think about. Specifically, the book takes you through the ten year olds day to day life which includes a lot of bullying. This really makes the reader think deeply on multiple levels. Between just the concept of bullying and various ways that its dealt with as well as why she is bullied adds a great amount of depth to the story. This book is a double award winner. It won the National book award and the Newberry Honor book medal. The main idea of this book was to teach children about the Vietnam war lifestyle in terms of the children living in the areas effected.
Because of it story passage is good and amazing .
The book had a great plot and Inside Out & Back Again has excellent poetry and the author describes excellent details. The book also illustrates life during the Vietnam War clearly and teaching the life.
My young niece read this book in class and told me I would love it. I did.
A quick, often humorous read about a young girl's struggles as a refugee in the US. I loved that it was written in verse novel, but not sure if it's going to appeal to many tweens.
Audiobook performed by Doan Ly Ha is the 10-year-old daughter of a Vietnamese Navy Officer who has gone missing while on a mission. As the Americans pull out of the war and Saigon is about to fall, Ha and her family escape the country via ship. Eventually they gain a sponsor, and the family tries to start over in the USA, a strange land, where the language, food, customs and religion are all different what they are used to. This middle-grade novel focusing on the immigrant experience is told entirely in verse, and I applaud Lai for how much she manages to convey in so few words. Ha is a strong little girl, focusing on becoming a star pupil at school (as she had done in Saigon), trying to make friends, to learn the customs and traditions of American celebrations like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, trying to NOT get beaten by bullies. Ha watches her mother work a menial job and slowly acknowledge that her husband is likely dead. In one heart-wrenching poem the child admits:No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in AlabamaStill the family perseveres, and makes their way in this new land, celebrating each accomplishment, and giving thanks for the opportunity to succeed. It’s a moving story and wonderfully told. It is at once complex and straightforward, nuanced, and simple. The author note at the end of the work explains that much of what happens to Ha in the novel actually happened to the author. The book won the National Book Award, and was also named a Newbery Honor Book. The audiobook is performed by Doan Ly. She has a wonderful delivery for this book. Great pace and she’s believable as a young girl. I did read at least half the book in text format, however because I was anxious to finish it.
No matter how old you are, whether or not you like poetry or not, you should still read this. I'm 45, I'm not into poetry, and I loved this. In spare but elegant verse, the story of one year in the life of a girl is told. A year where Saigon falls and her family becomes refugees fleeing to safety in the United States. A year of coming to terms with a new culture and language. A year of struggle as a forced immigrant. This is amazing both as a piece of literature and as a learning experience.
Simply amazing. I was swept up in all the feels as a little girl flees Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon with her family, led by her strong but all-too-human mother. Lai effectively communicates all the confusion, uncertainty and compromises facing a refugee in an alien land.I'm not a fan of poetry, which this claims to be, but near as I can tell in this case that just means hitting the return key in odd places and paring the story down to only the most essential sentences.I read this for the 2019 Johnston, Iowa, Community Read.
Ha has lived in Saigon for all of her life, though things have been different, especially recently. Her dad has been gone most of her ten years, and she worries that she will never see him again. But she has to be brave, and she has to have hope. When the Vietnam War hits Saigon, it's time for Ha, her mother, and her brothers to move somewhere safe. Taking only one item each, they travel by boat far away from the only home Ha has ever known. The journey isn’t easy, and it's the worst experience of her young life. When the boat has finally reached safety, Ha is still not at her final destination. More moving and adjusting will take place before her family is sponsored, and they move to a state called Alabama. Now she needs to try to fit in, only she doesn’t speak the language, and many people already think they know who she is and what she is about. What will Ha’s life be like in America? Will she find friends and be accepted? Is her family ever going to see father again? What would you pick if you could only take one item from your home? You must follow along with Ha on her journey to find out what happens!
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is based on the author’s experience leaving Vietnam as a young girl. The story is told in verse. I had never read a chapter book written in verse, and I was concerned that I might not like it. This was not the case! Ha’s emotions came through in beautiful stanzas. The short chapters and text made it easy for me to read a huge chunk of the book at once, and then to read parts when I only had a little time. Ha’s relationship with her siblings was easy to relate to, and I liked reading her perspective on the life changing journey. I would definitely recommend this book to fourth through eighth graders. I think many adults would learn a lot from seeing the world through Ha’s eyes. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book, and I think it would help a lot of kids to see what life is like for someone during wartime, and why peace is so important. I look forward to reading another book by this author.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is based on the author’s experience leaving Vietnam as a young girl. The story is told in verse. I had never read a chapter book written in verse, and I was concerned that I might not like it. This was not the case! Ha’s emotions came through in beautiful stanzas. The short chapters and text made it easy for me to read a huge chunk of the book at once, and then to read parts when I only had a little time. Ha’s relationship with her siblings was easy to relate to, and I liked reading her perspective on the life changing journey. I would definitely recommend this book to fourth through eighth graders. I think many adults would learn a lot from seeing the world through Ha’s eyes. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book, and I think it would help a lot of kids to see what life is like for someone during wartime, and why peace is so important. I look forward to reading another book by this author.
A beautiful story told in verse that teaches us to be kind and open minded and gives a broader perspective in the life and feelings of a refugee.
One of the best books I've read in a really long time and I love how it's written so well in poetry. I've personally have been through some of the same experiences as her and she portrays it very well.
A young girl tells the story of her family’s escape from Saigon when it fell, and their experience in a refugee camp in Florida, sponsored by someone in Alabama, where the family eventually end up.It’s told entirely in free verse. It’s very beautiful and, despite my categorizing it as a children’s book, I recommend it for readers of all ages.No one would believe mebut at timesI would choosewartime in SaigonOverpeacetime in Alabama.A shout out and thank you to Rebecca of Rebecca Reads who convinced me to try this.4½ stars
good book to read.
This book was an enjoyable read. I liked the writing style of the book. Instead of being written in chapters as most chapter books are, this particular novel was composed of a series of poems/journal entries written by the narrator, Hà. Since the protagonist "wrote" the entries from her perspective, this allowed the reader to get into her mind and see and feel things as she did. Hà is only ten years old, and this was reflected through the language used in the book. This makes the book is something the target audience can relate to because they are 10 as well. I also liked how the author managed to successfully incorporate dialogue into Hà's journal entries. The dialogue came from other characters and gave means to understanding what they were saying and where they were coming from. It took you back in time with them and put the reader in their shoes. The dialogue was important because of the way it portrayed the characters and helped the reader to understand them, even if they have never been in a similar situation. The big idea of the book was for the author to share their personal story about the transition of coming to America, but more so than that, it had a theme of coming of age. Her adolescence was fast tracked by the Vietnam war. By the end of the book, she was no longer the girl she was made out to be in the beginning. War takes a toll on people.
What a powerful message of perseverance. In this chapter book the reader is introduced to Ha a young girl from Vietnam who is forced to leave her home with her mother and three older brothers during the Vietnam War. The book is written through a series of short journal entries that chronicle her home in Vietnam, her escape with her family, and ultimately her relocation to the U.S. in Alabama. I loved reading this book because of the main character’s perception. Many of the characters in the novel are characterized by their physical appearances such as “Pink boy, honey-hair girl, white-hair boy.” This was a very cleaver tool for the author to use because it gave you a realistic approach to how children think. The children that she named are the same children who call her names by her physical characteristics such as “pancake” and “Boo-Da.” I too was bullied growing up because I was different so I was able to relate to the struggles that Ha faced. Another element why I enjoyed this book is the writing was well organized. The reader can easily follow the time line because of the use of dates in the journal. Not only was the novel organized but the language of the novel was excellent. The story is told through short soliloquy s but it is very effective in describing Ha life. An example of this can be seen in one of the first entries it is titled Papaya Tree. In this she describes how she has grown this plant from a tree into plant where she will “rise first every morning to stare at the dew on the green fruit shaped like a light bulb.” This novel is about perseverance in the face of tragedy which is a great lesson for older children to know as they too will face obstacles.
This book had a nice cultural and historical lens. The four-part model of the book transitions the reader through the different stages of Hà’s journey from war-ridden Saigon to rural Alabama. I love the journalistic style of the text, since the 1st person point of view is very true to Hà’s feelings. The story of immigration is also very well-developed. The reader gets to learn about how a ten-year-old perceives the change of her country when war heightens. Her young age also adds a sense of humor in the story. “What kind of cowboy is he?” Hà wonders about her sponsor who has a cowboy hat but no horse. In addition, the story addresses tough topics of bullying and being outcast. It opens the reader’s eyes to the struggle of transitioning to a new country with new language and new people. The author pulled from her own experiences of immigrating to the United States and made a very believable coming-of-age story about a young girl and her family. The big idea of the book is that when life twists and perspective of the world turns upside-down, people learn to find comfort in what they know—family, love, and writing.
In this novel written in verse, Thanhha Lai draws from her own experiences as a refugee and immigrant. Hà, a ten year old growing up in Saigon, is forced to flee her home with her mother and three older brothers when Saigon falls during the Vietnam War. Her father has been missing in action for nine years, and the family is still optimistic that he someday will return to them. With the heart-wrenching decision to leave Vietnam, the chances of her father finding them if he is alive are made significantly smaller. The family first arrives in a refugee camp in Guam; they then travel to Florida where they await a sponsor. Their sponsor, a “cowboy” from Alabama, invites them into his home, introduces them to American foods, helps them get jobs, enrolls Hà in school, and has them baptized. The narrative poetry follows Hà’s struggles as she deals with adjusting to life in America, the nuances of the English language, racism, bullying, and the uncertainty of her future. This book, based on the author’s own experiences, follows the life of a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl as she is forced to flee her country and immigrate to America, where she experiences isolation and racism.
The book itself has many messages for its readers. The author, Thanhha Lai incorporates historical events, family values, and cultural ties into the life of the little girl named Ha. I liked this book for three treason. First, Lai tells the book in first person point of view which emotionally connects the reader to the main character. You get to see what she seeing and feel what she is feeling. If this was told in third person point of view, it would not draw the audience in as much because they would be disconnected from Ha. Looking at this quote, “I listen to the swish, swish of mother’s handheld fan, the whispers among adults, the bombs in the greater distance,” you are put in Ha’s position on the boat. You get to feel what she feels when she is crammed in a small space in the middle of the night. The second thing I like about this book is the organization of it. Thanhha made each moment in Ha’s life very clear to the reader by separating them into sections. There was a section for her time in Saigon, her time on the boat, and her time in the United States. Also, throughout the book, Thanhha labeled each page with a new header. This helped the audience focus on what was Ha was focusing on. For example, one header is “Saigon is Gone.” Following the heading was Ha’s reactions and feelings towards her home being destroyed. Lastly, the characters in the story were well developed and essential to the story. This is because the story was focused around Ha and those who entered her life are all apart of her life. Her brothers, neighbors, classmates, and her mom all played into how she grew up. For example, Miss Washington her neighbor helps her though tough situations and challenges that she faces when in the new country. Thanhha develops miss Washington to be a very influential person in Ha’s life.