Inside Out and Back Again

By: Thanhha Lai

Narrated by: Doan Ly

National Book Award, Young People's Literature, 2011

Vietnam-born author Thanhha Lai bursts onto the literary scene with Inside Out & Back Again—her National Book Award-winning debut. Written in rich, free-verse poems, this moving tale follows a young Vietnamese girl as she leaves her war-torn homeland for America in 1975. With Saigon about to fall to the communists, 10-year-old Hà, her mother, and brothers are forced to flee their beloved city and head to the United States. But living in a new country isn’t easy for Hà, and she finds adapting to its strange customs ever challenging.

©2011 Thanhha Lai (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

Best story

The best book I ever had played overall I love it the book tells about a real person

This book was added to my 8th grade curriculum.

Great listen. Good for me because I'll annotate while reading instead of just listening first.

A Beautiful Memoir about Immigration

Beautifully composed and thoughtfully narrated, a powerful memoir about a family immigrating from Vietnam to America during the war.

Wars and Life Changes

Vietnam had an impact throughout the world and life as we knew it will never be the same. Our story concerns one family who left their motherland to plant new roots in America.

Good story

It was a good story. I was expecting more out of it and it just ended suddenly. It stinks that it doesn’t let you know that it is one of many to finish the story.

War from a child's poetic perspective

The narration was very soothing to listen and I really enjoyed the story and it's more poetic than prose style of convening a child's perspective of war, loss and determination.

Unpretentious and authentic story of young Vietnamese immigrant after Vietnam war

The real experience of a girl who faces terrible hardship. But not self-pitying. Good narration.

All Readers Listen!

What a great reality-based story. This is such a great knowledgeable book for young readers to be exposed to. Excellent storytelling by Thanhha Lai, and excellent narration of little Ha by Doan Ly.

very real

The story is important. We as Americans do not know these intimate details of immigrants from war torn countries. It makes you more aware, wish you could do something.

So good that i almost cried.

This was a very awesome book that is so true. I liked it a lot, hopping it would end happy, and it did a little bit, except when I listened and read that it was a true story. I feel so sorry for you, for your family, for your father, and your country.