Inside Out and Back Again
- Downloads：1931
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-07 06:54:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Thanhha Lai
- ISBN：0061962791
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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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 paperback edition also includes an interview with the author， an activity you can do with your family， tips on writing poetry， and discussion questions。
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 paperback edition also includes an interview with the author， an activity you can do with your family， tips on writing poetry， and discussion questions。
Reviews
Raven ✰
，
This will forever be an enjoyable read for me。 Every time I read it， it's like it gets better & better❤️。 This will forever be an enjoyable read for me。 Every time I read it， it's like it gets better & better❤️。 。。。more
Chris Frankovic
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Lovely， engaging， sweetly funny and poignant short story of a year in the life。 My kids and I enjoyed it。
Alejandro
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Interesting， specially the second part; fragmented narrative， slow beginning。Short， worth reading。
Ms。 Pomerleau
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Such a powerful book but an easy read。 This tells the story of the Vietnam War from the perspective of a Vietnamese child。 Written in verse （poetry）， you will find this one fast paced but very impactful。
Stephanie Carter
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Beautiful free verse poetry that illustrates the difficulties of being a refugee in a new country。 Loved it！ Great for approx。 ages 8+。
Kelly
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I loved this！
Caitlin
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With so many refugees all over the world and especially in their classes and our city， this book is going to be a required read for my kids this summer。 Incredibly written。
Alicia Sebright
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I know some people either loved this book or hated it。 This book is in poem form and it does take time to get used to， but this style was very intriguing to me。 I picked out this book specifically to read for my 10 year old little girl as she’s starting to come into her own of what she likes to read。 She enjoys reading about our history or others history。 This book is a young adult read book， it’s intended purposes， my guess is to show people that things a different for different people。 Maybe p I know some people either loved this book or hated it。 This book is in poem form and it does take time to get used to， but this style was very intriguing to me。 I picked out this book specifically to read for my 10 year old little girl as she’s starting to come into her own of what she likes to read。 She enjoys reading about our history or others history。 This book is a young adult read book， it’s intended purposes， my guess is to show people that things a different for different people。 Maybe poem form is how this author expresses how they feel or how they can explain what’s happening。 Knowing people come from different backgrounds and how the English language can be so difficult to learn， the straight to the point poem style is why they used it。 Not everything needs to be drawn out and explained， leave some of it to your imagination。 I didn’t have any problem following what was happening in the book。 You knew how the girl felt and how different everything was for her。 So if you don’t want a young adult read， in a poem style form， and something different than what you’re used to I would not suggest this book for you。 However， if you are a person who enjoys or appreciates culture and unique writing styles this book might be one to read。 I enjoyed it quite much so and everyone complaining on how short it was， I enjoy fun quick reads from time to time。 And I appreciate the author in trying something new。 。。。more
Greta Goetz
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A must-read。 Poignant， funny， & powerful。
Linene
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3。5， a really well written young adult novel。 An easy introduction into the concept of being a refugee。
Ammie
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I love going into a book unaware of it's content。 Leaves me completely surprised by the story about to be told。 I mean how many friends start off with a synopsis before going into full detail。 That being said this is set during the end of the Vietnam War， following the journey of a 10 year old girl and her family as they escape the communist regime in 1975 and life afresh， at the bottom。 This tugged at me， lead to tears and opened my eyes to yet another experience previously unknown to me。 Only I love going into a book unaware of it's content。 Leaves me completely surprised by the story about to be told。 I mean how many friends start off with a synopsis before going into full detail。 That being said this is set during the end of the Vietnam War， following the journey of a 10 year old girl and her family as they escape the communist regime in 1975 and life afresh， at the bottom。 This tugged at me， lead to tears and opened my eyes to yet another experience previously unknown to me。 Only caution when reading with young readers would be the Buddhist beliefs and prayers and the un-Biblical baptism of a family。 It is never okay to baptize someone against their knowledge or will and pretend it cleanses them enough for fellowship。 It made me cringe。 。。。more
Opaldc
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This one is a wonderful book， fresh and open wide-eyed also taught some english to me。 This feel like I'm standing looking what she did on the story。 Poem makes me read easier and I like this so much。 Hà's family they're stand for many stories happened， I admire them。 They are courage and strong。 Hà's mom is supermom and all of character on story。 This a brilliant book， I love that author wrote the poem like this。 This one is a wonderful book， fresh and open wide-eyed also taught some english to me。 This feel like I'm standing looking what she did on the story。 Poem makes me read easier and I like this so much。 Hà's family they're stand for many stories happened， I admire them。 They are courage and strong。 Hà's mom is supermom and all of character on story。 This a brilliant book， I love that author wrote the poem like this。 。。。more
Jacob Clark
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Inside Out & Back Again was a quick and enjoyable read that has left me thinking even more about myself， my family， and our history （similar to Crying in H Mart）。 I am not the biggest fan of poetry， but I think the poem format was overall quite digestible （for non-poetry aficionados） and really effective in capturing the journey of Hà and her family。My favorite quote， from the very last page:I truly learnto fly-kick，not to kick anyoneso much asto fly。
Kellye Bojorquez
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This poetic meditation on one family’s postwar emigration from Vietnam is a gem。 It’s like a perfectly ripe papaya in season。
Max gomez
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Read it on my school a few years back。 It was great。
Katie Wilson
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A super quick read with an excellent look inside the mind and emotions of a young girl displaced from her home。 Written in verse， it would be a great option for middle grade+ readers。
Jeilee
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This is the first book in a while to make me tear up。 It was beautiful and I loved every minute of it。
Denise
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What a wonderful story。 I loved every line and I find it amazing that so full a story comes from such small verse。 I'd say the story is juicy， like a ripe papaya。 All the stars and praise are well deserved。 What a wonderful story。 I loved every line and I find it amazing that so full a story comes from such small verse。 I'd say the story is juicy， like a ripe papaya。 All the stars and praise are well deserved。 。。。more
Juliet
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I don't think any book I've read so far has managed to touch my heart as deeply as this one has。 Though some may deem the free verse format unconventional， I found it managed to work well in relaying Hà's emotional experience as a Vietnamese refugee child。 Really loved this one。 I don't think any book I've read so far has managed to touch my heart as deeply as this one has。 Though some may deem the free verse format unconventional， I found it managed to work well in relaying Hà's emotional experience as a Vietnamese refugee child。 Really loved this one。 。。。more
Gina
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Fictionalized story written in free verse poetry following the harrowing story of young Ha as she travels with her mother and brothers from Vietnam to Alabama after the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam war。 We learn of her life in wartime Vietnam， the impact of the journey and as a refugee on her family， her many struggles with her life in Alabama， and the process to a very small amount of acceptance in her new community。 Although fiction， this is directly based on the author's own experiences。 Fictionalized story written in free verse poetry following the harrowing story of young Ha as she travels with her mother and brothers from Vietnam to Alabama after the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam war。 We learn of her life in wartime Vietnam， the impact of the journey and as a refugee on her family， her many struggles with her life in Alabama， and the process to a very small amount of acceptance in her new community。 Although fiction， this is directly based on the author's own experiences。 The writing is sparse but the impact is profound。*My in-person book club selection for July 2021。 。。。more
Elizabeth Moklestad
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This book was a joy to read。 I loved the free verse poetry filled with beautiful imagery。 I loved the spunk of the main character Hà。 And the story made me want to learn more about the Vietnam War and all its repercussions。 It was also a great to hear the story of a new refugee before starting my new position as a teacher of multilingual learners。 Highly recommend this book and all the extras included at the end！ （Author interview， tips on writing poetry， family activities， and discussion questi This book was a joy to read。 I loved the free verse poetry filled with beautiful imagery。 I loved the spunk of the main character Hà。 And the story made me want to learn more about the Vietnam War and all its repercussions。 It was also a great to hear the story of a new refugee before starting my new position as a teacher of multilingual learners。 Highly recommend this book and all the extras included at the end！ （Author interview， tips on writing poetry， family activities， and discussion questions） 。。。more
Lizz
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I read this in one sitting。 This book is an absolute masterpiece， so touching and beautiful。This is a novel in verse， so it was very easy to read quickly。 It was always in my 4th and 5th grade classrooms， but I never really thought to pick it up， and now I regret that。 This is a story everyone needs to read。 All the main characters are so relatable in the way that they handle their situations and identities。 This is definitely one of my favorite books ever， and I hope one day I can read more boo I read this in one sitting。 This book is an absolute masterpiece， so touching and beautiful。This is a novel in verse， so it was very easy to read quickly。 It was always in my 4th and 5th grade classrooms， but I never really thought to pick it up， and now I regret that。 This is a story everyone needs to read。 All the main characters are so relatable in the way that they handle their situations and identities。 This is definitely one of my favorite books ever， and I hope one day I can read more books by this author。 Completely stunning。 。。。more
Melodey Bun
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Inside Out & Back Again is a fascinating narrative told eloquently in free verse poetry。 The poetry makes Ha's story easy to read and helps readers to completely experience a wide range of circumstances and feelings without feeling overwhelmed。 Readers will like the rapid pace and Ha's youthful yet authentic voice， as well as the quality of the characters and the opportunity to debate values， culture， and choices。 This story is rich with both wisdom and humour。 While the Vietnam War serves as th Inside Out & Back Again is a fascinating narrative told eloquently in free verse poetry。 The poetry makes Ha's story easy to read and helps readers to completely experience a wide range of circumstances and feelings without feeling overwhelmed。 Readers will like the rapid pace and Ha's youthful yet authentic voice， as well as the quality of the characters and the opportunity to debate values， culture， and choices。 This story is rich with both wisdom and humour。 While the Vietnam War serves as the backdrop for this story， the narration is free of judgment and politics。Overall， this is an uplifting narrative that can be read several times， each time providing readers with a greater appreciation for the language， the characters， and the poignant but subtle life lessons。 。。。more
A'Leah Childress
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the format of the book is lovely。 overall great book。 every aspect of this story is so admirable。
Cass
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This book has been unread on my Kindle for quite a while mainly because it was written in verse。 What a mistake on my part！ I finally read it and I should have done so sooner！ It is easy to read and it is such a good story。 I remember well the time of the boat people who escaped from Vietnam to the ocean hoping that a larger ship would pick them up and help them get to freedom。 Many， many did not survive。 Ha' and her family were some that escaped and were able to make a new life in the United St This book has been unread on my Kindle for quite a while mainly because it was written in verse。 What a mistake on my part！ I finally read it and I should have done so sooner！ It is easy to read and it is such a good story。 I remember well the time of the boat people who escaped from Vietnam to the ocean hoping that a larger ship would pick them up and help them get to freedom。 Many， many did not survive。 Ha' and her family were some that escaped and were able to make a new life in the United States。 This book is listed as fiction but it is based on the true story of the author。 。。。more
Jacqueline
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Such as good book。 The story of a Vietnam girl named Ha， who had to flee with her family from a war in Vietnam。 She struggles to fit in Alabama and find a community。 Eventually， with the help from others and meeting new people， Ha and her family adapt to a the local's culture and she fights off her bully。 Towards the end， the family receives a letter from Hà's father's brother in North Vietnam， a sign that her father has died。 The family prayers for his eternal peace in the afterlife。 Though the Such as good book。 The story of a Vietnam girl named Ha， who had to flee with her family from a war in Vietnam。 She struggles to fit in Alabama and find a community。 Eventually， with the help from others and meeting new people， Ha and her family adapt to a the local's culture and she fights off her bully。 Towards the end， the family receives a letter from Hà's father's brother in North Vietnam， a sign that her father has died。 The family prayers for his eternal peace in the afterlife。 Though their lives have been twisted inside out， they have come back again to the beginning of a new year， and a renewal of their luck。 。。。more
Sydney
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Beautifully written。 MUST READ。
Catherine Ross
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A masterly crafted verse novel recounting the author’s own experiences as a 10 year old refugee of the fall of Saigon in 1975 and relocating to Alabama with her mother and three older brothers。 She intricately weaves a beautiful portrait of what it was like to be forced to leave her home， her country， the terrible uncertain journey， with little food or water and no knowledge of what awaited them。 This is a great book for Tweenies （ages 10/11） as well as teenagers and adults。 Younger kids will ha A masterly crafted verse novel recounting the author’s own experiences as a 10 year old refugee of the fall of Saigon in 1975 and relocating to Alabama with her mother and three older brothers。 She intricately weaves a beautiful portrait of what it was like to be forced to leave her home， her country， the terrible uncertain journey， with little food or water and no knowledge of what awaited them。 This is a great book for Tweenies （ages 10/11） as well as teenagers and adults。 Younger kids will have no knowledge of the events being described but the historical facts of the story are not important， they are simply the backdrop for the story of a child leaving behind everything for the total unknown。 Having survived the harrowing trip， the refugee camp and then trying to adapt to a very different life in Alabama， trying to learn English， while the kids at school bully her， is something every child can empathise with - whether they know the history of the Vietnam War or not。 。。。more
Uke！！
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This was a book I had to read for school， and I enjoyed it a lot！
Monica Hills
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