Of Monkey Bridges and Bánh Mì Sandwiches

From Sài Gòn to Texas

By: Ms. Oanh Ngo Usadi

Narrated by: Oanh Ngo Usadi

In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, a young girl and her family were exiled from city-living in Saigon to the countryside of Vietnam and, ultimately, escaped to a small town in Texas. Part travelogue and part family drama, this quietly affecting immigrant memoir will make you laugh, cry, and hunger for more, all at the same time. Through each traumatic transition, Oanh Ngo Usadi retains her optimism as she and her family adapt to new environments and cultures in their journey to become Americans.

©2018 Oanh Ngo Usadi (P)2019 Oanh Ngo Usadi

EXCELLENT READ!

I absolutely loved it! This book caught my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout the entire book. The narration was excellent. It will keep you entertained! The author did an amazing job with her story! look forward to reading more books from this author! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Just having been to Vietnam

I loved this book after having traveled the Mekong Delta in a small passenger boat. We stopped and visited such villages. Learning the life from resident point of view was fascinating! The difficulty escaping from the country and the political reasons why were eye opening.
However, I had a difficult time understanding her though the pronunciation of names were crucial. I could not take the sounds of the narrator swallowing and turning pages. I chose to buy the digital print and follow along.
This book and many of its sort are important to create empathy and foster tolerance.

Interesting and enlightening

I found this memoir very interesting and enlightening. I learned a lot about Vietnamese culture and customs. The narration by the author was obviously amateur but necessary given all the Vietnamese language and names present in the audiobook. Also, it seemed quite appropriate for the subject of the memoir to narrate her own story. Although her accent was detectable, I had no trouble understanding her narration. My only complaint is that I felt the story ended too abruptly with a few loose ends -- mainly, what happened to her parents and their business? Other than that, I enjoyed this memoir very much.

Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Fantastic and Inspiring

Highly recommend this title! Really makes you appreciate everything you take for granted. The author's account of what happened to her family and how they overcame their situation and started a new life in America is an inspiration and a reminder of how much the promise of freedom means.

Meaningful, touching and beautifully written

I was initially dismayed that the author opted to read the work herself, rather than utilizing a professional narrator. Not long into the book, I recognized the importance of the story being told in the author’s own authentic voice. By the end, her voice felt like that of a close friend, and I was sorry we had to part. I learned a great deal from listening to this memoir, and hope to hear much more from Oanh Ngo Usadi.