Boat People

This powerful narrative winner of the 1993 Associated Writing Programs award for the novel focuses on Galveston Texas and a community of newly arrived Vietnamese. Struggling to maintain a balance between Vietnam and America they live with one foot in each world. Close-knit families now fragmented dream of the kingdom of elders left behind; young girls shoulder responsibility far beyond their years; and homesick professionals puzzled by American customs strive to belong while clinging to the rituals that sustain them.