Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars: A Vietnamese War Orphan Finds Home

Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars: A Vietnamese War Orphan Finds Home is a non-fiction book about an eight-year-old orphan named Tuyet. In 1975, during the Vietnam War, Tuyet was airlifted out of Saigon and brought to Canada, where she was adopted by the Morris family. Tuyet had polio as a child, and her foot was turned in and she had trouble walking. Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars: A Vietnamese War Orphan Finds Home is her memories of life in the orphanage, the night she was brought to the plane that transported her and many babies to Canada, the early experiences with her new family and the surgery that she had to help her foot and allow her to walk. Tuyet came to Canada, not speaking English and not always knowing what was happening. We see that everything was so new for Tuyet in Canada, but she was hopeful and grateful to be part of a family.

Sky of Bombs, Sky of Star: A Vietnamese War Orphan Finds Homes was so well written that I pictured it as a movie, playing in my head. I could picture Tuyet, the events, and the feelings she was experiencing like I was watching it all happen. It made me sad to think at first that Tuyet hid food out of worry that her family may forget to feed her, or that when a plane flew overhead, she thought it would drop bombs.

I would say it was an easy read, and I want to share this book with my ten-year-old sister. I thought it was funny that the first time Tuyet saw lans, she thought that every house was surrounded by rice fields because that was what she knew in Vietnam. When Tuyet was alone in the hospital, after her surgery, she didn’t fully understand what was happening since she didn’t speak English, and I felt sad for her. It must have been so hard. But I could also see how strong and determined Tuyet was when she used crutches and got her new brace and shoes to help her walk. I am so happy that I read Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars: A Vietnamese War Orphan Finds Home and it makes me want to learn more about the orphans who were airlifted out of Vietnam.