As more and more furniture disappears from their home, 12-year-old Thọ understands without ever being told that his parents are selling it so that he can escape Vietnam and forced conscription into the army when he turns 18. To admit such a plan, or that a son has fled as Thọ’s older brother already did, is to face the threat of government repercussions in this story set in 1980. Still, it’s sudden and shocking the morning Thọ awakens to the realization that he’s leaving that day. Thọ’s journey from Vietnam begins on an overcrowded boat full of refugees, which is repeatedly attacked by pirates. Although most of the pirates give the refugees a little food and water in addition to stealing anything they have left of value, Thọ decides to attempt to influence his own fate by sneaking onto one of the pirate ships. He bides his time and chooses well, stowing away on a large boat among pirates who take good care of him once he’s discovered. When the pirates rendezvous with a ship called the Cap Anamur, they turn Thọ over to the German boat’s crew, whose mission is to rescue refugees on the ocean. This rousing yet tender story in Thọ’s observant voice follows him to a refugee camp in the Philippines and, eventually, to Canada. Based on author Phạm’s own experiences, it is a tale in which hope and human kindness leave lasting impressions. (Ages 9–12)

The gripping story of a boy’s escape by boat from Communist Vietnam in 1980. Eleven-year-old Tho Pham lives with his family in South Vietnam. He spends his afternoons playing soccer and cricket fighting, but life is slowly changing under the Communists. His parents are worried, and Tho knows the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and them him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says he’s arranged for Tho to leave, immediately. Tho tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown. A survival story drawn from real-life experiences enrich this riveting refugee story.