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The Latehomecomer
- A Hmong Family Memoir
- Narrated by: Kao Kalia Yang
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 06-17-11
- Language: English
- Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Regular price: $24.47
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Publisher's Summary
In the 70s and 80s, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to the United States, all in search of a new place to call home. Decades later, their experiences remain largely unknown.
Kao Kalia Yang was driven to tell her own family's story after her grandmother’s death. The Latehomecomer is a tribute to that grandmother, a remarkable woman whose spirit held her family together through their imprisonment in Laos, their narrow escape into Thailand's Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, their immigration to St. Paul when Yang was only six years old, and their transition to life in America. It is also an eloquent firsthand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard in their adopted homeland.
Critic Reviews
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Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars54
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4 Stars26
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars48
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4 Stars16
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3 Stars15
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2 Stars5
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1 Stars5
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars55
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4 Stars24
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K.J. Scott
- 04-02-18
Quietly powerful
Beautifully written and quietly powerful story of immigration, love for family, and experience of loss.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jessica
- 09-11-17
familiar and inspiring story
Although a soft voice, she tells a powerful story of refugees and her family experience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hodge
- 11-25-16
Thank you for sharing
A unique look into the experience of an immigrant family. The story comes from the heart. It has a voice of discovery, innocence, and great love.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Seth M.
- 06-01-16
Beautiful and moving
Yang reads her story with great emotion and she tells her story so well that I feel like I have come to know her and her family. Phau ntawv no zoo kawg li tiag.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douya
- 04-08-15
Bravo
As a Hmong woman, this book brings back memories long forgotten. I loved it.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Joslyn
- MILTON, WI, United States
- 12-09-12
Skip listening!
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Read the book, do not listen!
What was most disappointing about Kao Kalia Yang’s story?
Horrible voice narration.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Her voice made me feel very little sympathy for the characters.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
The narration made it hard for me to feel anything towards the characters.
Any additional comments?
Since listening to the book, I had read it. Liked it much better in print.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful