04/03/2023
Nguyen’s affecting, Vietnam War–set debut centers nine-year-old Thu’o’ng, whose idyllic life with Ma in the lowlands of South Vietnam suddenly takes a turn. The war has waylaid visits from her Ba, who lives in the north, and increasing danger results in Ma and Thu’o’ng moving in with him and Ba’s first wife, Big Mother and Thu’o’ng’s five half-siblings, whom she did not know existed. Big Mother refuses to use Thu’o’ng’s birth name and nicknames her Bé, the first in a series of cruel deeds toward her. Hoping to raise enough money for her and Thu’o’ng to leave, Thu’o’ng’s mother departs to look for work, prompting now 11-year-old to stop talking and find companionship only with three-legged stray cat Mèo. When Big Mother sells the tween to human traffickers, Thu’o’ng fosters community with the other women despite the treacherous nature of her new circumstances. The harrowing realities of the protagonist’s situation are lightly hinted at, emphasizing the safety she feels with the older women, who protect her and the younger girls. This powerfully wrought portrayal of grief and perseverance sensitively depicts an underrepresented perspective of life in Vietnam during the war. Soulful digital illustrations by White (Mable Meets a Black Bear) introduce each chapter. Includes a pronunciation guide, glossary, and author’s note. Ages 11–12. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (May)
"Heart-wrenching, hopeful, and heartwarming. Extraordinarily deep and lovely. Please read Mèo and Bé and fall in love like I did." Jennifer Niven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
"An eye-opening story of a little girl's strength and resilience amid family trauma and war-torn Vietnam. As she struggles to survive and regain her loved ones and her voice, Bé and her faithful kitten Mèo will win your heart." Tonya Duncan Ellis, author of the bestselling Sophie Washington series
"It's a stunning debut by Vietnamese author Doan Phuong Nguyen about growing up in Vietnam amid war and is sure to make you smile, cry, and then smile some more. She knocked this one out of the park." George Jreije, author of the Shad Hadid series
"An underrepresented topic on most shelves, this page-turner explores a girl's search for love and connection while providing a unique and necessary historical perspective." School Library Journal
"This moving debut novel, based in part on the experiences of members of Nguyen's family, features well-developed characters, vivid depictions of wartime Vietnam, and a sense of everyday life for ordinary Vietnamese people during this period...An unsparingly brutal but ultimately uplifting story; readers will cheer as Bé finally finds her voice." Booklist
"This powerfully wrought portrayal of grief and perseverance sensitively depicts an underrepresented perspective of life in Vietnam during the war." Publishers Weekly
Freeman Book Award for East and Southeast Asian Children's Literature Honorable Mention 2023 - National Consortium for Teaching About Asia Notable Books for a Global Society Winner 2024 - International Literacy Association (ILA)
06/23/2023
Gr 6 Up—Set in rural Vietnam circa 1962, the dangers of the Vietnam War have forced Thu'o'ng and Má to move in with her father and his second family. Life with her new family is fraught with conflict, especially as her stepmother, Big Mother, does nothing to hide the contempt she has for Thu'o'ng (renamed Bé) and Má. When Bé's father has a stroke, Big Mother seizes the opportunity to strengthen her hold on the family, leading to Má's exit and leaving Bé completely alone. Choosing a life of muteness, Bé's only comfort comes in the form of a family of cats and one particular three-legged kitten, Mèo. Even when Bé is kidnapped into slavery and finds herself in the middle of the Vietnam War, Mèo becomes a constant guardian and friend. With unflinching honesty, Bé's story gives readers a rare window into Vietnamese life during the Vietnam War. Devoid of American soldiers and including only passing references to the Viet Cong, readers instead focus on the struggles of the Vietnamese people. Characters are well developed, the historical setting is drawn vividly, and tightly created tension pulls the reader through the story. Taken from the author's own family history, details in these stories may be uncomfortable for some, but knowing that there is hope in the end will encourage readers to follow Bé's story and cheer for her in its gratifying conclusion. VERDICT An underrepresented topic on most shelves, this page-turner explores a girl's search for love and connection while providing a unique and necessary historical perspective.—Louie Lauer
2023-03-14
A harrowing account of one girl’s life during the Vietnam War.
Nine-year-old Bé is happy in her village in South Vietnam, but with the war encroaching on their home, her father decides that it’s safer for her and her mother to move further north—to another village where he has another wife and five sons. Bé quickly realizes that their arrival is not welcome. Since she is her father’s only daughter, Bé’s new grandmother favors her, which infuriates her father’s first wife. To escape the latter’s abuse, Bé finds solace in a tiny kitten, Mèo, and it is Mèo who will accompany Bé as she faces escalating abuse, loss, abandonment, trafficking, and war. Based on Nguyen’s family’s experiences, this is a grim portrayal of life in wartime and the trauma that accompanies it. While Bé does not necessarily understand all the atrocities she witnesses, the implications will be clear to many readers. This relatively mature content is sometimes at odds with the narrative voice, which overall reads as quite young, in line with Bé’s age at the beginning of the novel. While the narration is easy to digest, and Mèo’s presence makes for some softer moments, the novel is perhaps better suited for an older audience.
This raw story of perseverance in the face of horror will challenge readers and their interlocutors. (language notes, Vietnamese names, glossary, author’s note) (Historical fiction. 12-14)