Craig Koszycki

This book tells the amazing story about the fall of Saigon through the eyes of one Vietnamese family. In vivid detail, it paints an action-packed picture of the delicate balance of family life in time of war. Readers get to know the Nguyens and the U.S. officials they befriend thanks to vivid retellings of each individual’s personality. You can envision how the fall of Saigon would impact each of them as they prepared to face the inevitable. While the book is a dramatization of actual events, as I read it I couldn’t help but remember hearing news about the war in Vietnam when I was around 10 years old, and asking my mom what it was all about. And though I don’t remember all the details of her answer, I do remember feeling sad about what I was seeing on TV. Revisiting these events through the book as an adult was a rewarding read, as it is ultimately a beautiful story about the loving bond of family and survival.