Forced to flee Vietnam to avoid police persecution, Mai and her parents, siblings, and grandmother travel with many other refugees by boat to Hong Kong. The journey is arduous, as the boat experiences mechanical problems and its overcrowded occupants suffer from hunger, thirst, and illness. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, the refugees are immediately sent to a holding center, where they await permission to travel to another country, or be sent back to Vietnam. This contemporary short novel contrasts the desperate situation of many economic and political refugees with their determination to lead safe and fulfilling lives. (Ages 9-12)

"When Mai's family discovers that Vietnam government soldiers will soon apprehend her father and grandmother, the family slips away in the night. They trudge through the swamps of the Mekong Delta toward the sea. The gut-wrenching trip to Hong Kong is just another step toward a new life, which the family eventually finds. Whelan's characters are distinctive, and her story is riveting, haunting, and memorable, reflecting the human virtues of determination, hope, love, and courage in the face of the most devastating of circumstances and injustices."--Booklist.