Leaving Saigon eBook William M Hopkins Xuan Nguyen
Download As PDF : Leaving Saigon eBook William M Hopkins Xuan Nguyen 
Leaving Saigon chronicles the Nguyen family's flight from North Vietnam in 1954 to escape the communist takeover and begin anew in Saigon. The family of nine began their new life in a house in Saigon with a dirt floor and coconut leaf roof.
Xuan, the oldest daughter, recounts her life from the rural North through the last stages of the Vietnam War and how it was to "grow up ugly" in a culture that was undergoing change. She worked for the Americans on Saigon's giant Tan Son Nhut Airport and became involved in the black market. Her marriage to an American soldier resulted in more hardship and ostracized her from her family and neighbors.
The forty-year family journey goes from Nam Dinh to Saigon; from Kontum and Pleiku through the fall of Saigon, The Trail of Tears, ten years of political prison, and escape to freedom by boat.
Xuan's peasant-to-American journey was one of personal trial, a new life, and changed fortunes.
This is a 50-year story about a war, about adopting a new culture, making new friends, and becoming an American.
Leaving Saigon eBook William M Hopkins Xuan Nguyen
There are many books relating the stories of Vietnam refugees, but LEAVING SAIGON is remarkable on several levels. The experiences and thoughts of Xuan, the central character, are narrative and written in the first person, while those of her family and friends are written in separate chapters in the third person. This is a unique technique, particularly as Xuan, and for the most part the other members of the family, did not know at the time how vastly their experiences differed as they were separated by the War. It's almost a RASHOMON experience to read their disparate stories before, during and after the War, putting together a jigsaw of circumstances to gain the full effect. However one on either side was effected by the Vietnam War, the book emphasizes suffering is universal and truth is relative, particularly as they involve politics. Although the book is personal in concentrating on Xuan and the Nguyen family, one can't miss the reinforcement how little governments learn from history and their own mistakes, and how it's always the citizenry which suffers from the conceits of the people in power. Well worth reading not only for its respect for human resilience, but for its unique and empathetic writing style.Product details
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Leaving Saigon eBook William M Hopkins Xuan Nguyen Reviews
An intriguing, well-written and informative book. Be prepared to miss some sleep time as you read into the wee hours.
Could not put this book down. Finished it in a couple of days. So absorbing, particularly regarding Vietnamese culture and view point. Recommend it highly especially if you are part of the Viet Nam era. It will give you a new perspective. Highly recommend!!!
Enjoyed reading about this family. A wonderful book about the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of the South Vietnamese.
Charming story detailing the life of Xuan Nguyen!. The glimpses of rice patties and lush tropical forests of Xuan's childhood home in North Vietnam will leave you feeling the honey sticking to your teeth. Born before the outbreak of the Vietnam War, Xuan's experience as the eldest girl in the family shows her shouldering much of the adult's work burden, but being granted very little of the cherished respect or even knowledge of the adult world at war. As Xuan's eyes open to the realities of the war around her, she begins to take advantage of the new opportunities that western culture and the war machine have brought to her country. She finds her strength and eventually moves across the globe to South Carolina, USA. Here her story transforms. Xuan meets a man named William (Bill) Hopkins at work one day and gains a lifelong friend. Though Bill's voice is not present in this biography, (the story is from Xuan's perspective) it is obvious that he cares deeply for his friend and that he finds her story to be 1 in a million and worth sharing with the world. I definitely agree! -Kate Jackson
I borrowed this book from a friend because I knew it was written by a local man in our community. I knew I'd find the story interesting, but expected that it would have the amateur markings of a nonprofessional writer. So much for my patronizing attitude! I began reading the novel on Friday afternoon and did not put it down until I finished it Sunday night. I'd stop for breaks with the family and then announce, "Well, it's back to Saigon for me." I did not want to leave Saigon--the book, that is.
Aside from the captivating story of this family's struggle, survival, and success, Mr. Hopkins develops the major characters as clearly defined individuals and describes the setting with such ease and knowledge that I was sure that he had been in Vietnam during those tumultuous years. In fact, he had not! I expected that the events of the war would predominate the story. However, the war and political struggles become the ominous backdrop for the day-to-day lives of this family.
Leaving Saigon was a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it for anyone of my generation whose teenage and young adult years were colored by the happenings in this faraway land and for those younger who want a user-friendly way to understand this period of history.
What a dirtbag that Sgt. Mel must be. Wonder if he has read this book? Feel sorry for Swan.
This was a compelling story with a lot of information and colorful anecdotes about culture and history. My heart broke for Xuan's struggles to raise her boys after her husband Sgt. Mel Naidas left her. Sad that Xuan considered what she could have done to save her marriage. She did nothing wrong...Mel was just a bad seed who has no character and no morals. You may wonder how I can make that definitive judgment...well...I am ex wife #3 of Mel Naidas. He's a pathological liar who only cares about himself. He alone is responsible for his behavior and the hardships he caused by his poor character. If Xuan reads this...many, many kudos on your accomplishments and those of your children. You should be proud!
There are many books relating the stories of Vietnam refugees, but LEAVING SAIGON is remarkable on several levels. The experiences and thoughts of Xuan, the central character, are narrative and written in the first person, while those of her family and friends are written in separate chapters in the third person. This is a unique technique, particularly as Xuan, and for the most part the other members of the family, did not know at the time how vastly their experiences differed as they were separated by the War. It's almost a RASHOMON experience to read their disparate stories before, during and after the War, putting together a jigsaw of circumstances to gain the full effect. However one on either side was effected by the Vietnam War, the book emphasizes suffering is universal and truth is relative, particularly as they involve politics. Although the book is personal in concentrating on Xuan and the Nguyen family, one can't miss the reinforcement how little governments learn from history and their own mistakes, and how it's always the citizenry which suffers from the conceits of the people in power. Well worth reading not only for its respect for human resilience, but for its unique and empathetic writing style.
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