Inside Out & Back Again (Book Talk 6)

"MiSSS SScott
points to the numbers 
along the wall.

I count up to twenty.

 The class claps
on its own.

 I'm furious,
unable to explain
 I already learned 
fractions 
and how to purify
river water.

So this is 
what dumb feels like."
(p. 156)


Inside Out & Back Again is the story of Hà, a ten year old girl and her family living in Saigon during the Vietnam war. The novel begins and ends with the celebration of Tết (Vietnamese New Year). This is a bad omen since a man must be the first one to touch the ground on New Year’s day. A woman's foot will bring bad luck for the coming year. This marks a series of changes for her entire family. As the war worsens they are pushed to abandon their home in Saigon and board a ship. Eventually, they are sponsored by an American family and they move to Georgia. 

American culture is a great shock for Hà's family. They don't like the food and the neighborhood does not welcome their arrival. With English being their second language, they are viewed as being uneducated and inferior in school. I would use this novel in the classroom to instill that being "different" does not make anyone "less".

I loved that this book was written in free form poetry. For the author to portray her story, she would have to use minimal words. I think this gave the story more impact for the reader. Very beautiful symbolism is used, especially pertaining to the setting. In Saigon, Hà is captivated by its beauty. Whereas in  America, everything is described in disgust.