We've all seen and heard stories about the Viet Nam War. Mostly from an American perspective, but what about from those who lived in Viet Nam during that terrible time in history? Dieu Bao was just a child living in the rural village of Son Tung when war came to her country. She tried desperately to live a normal life in the serene countryside, but too many times bombs rained down from the sky. Too many times the people she loved, including her own family, were killed because of the battles being fought all across Viet Nam. Along with this, Dieu endured many other kinds of battles that weren't fought with guns or planes, but with lying, abusive husbands. There seemed to be nowhere in Viet Nam that she could escape from violence. Yet though her passion for life and her devotion to Buddha, Dieu managed to find a way out from the madness in Viet Nam. This is the incredible true story about a young Vietnamese girl who becomes a woman, searches for love and seemly impossible peace, and eventually finds it in the most unexpected of places. . . Once outside, I saw people scurrying about like scared mice. Giant fireball explosions were everywhere. Trees, houses . . . even animals were split in two. Their carcasses were strewn all throughout the streets. People were driving recklessly in an attempt to get out of town, and a few times I was almost run over. With Phuong in my arms, I grabbed Trung by the hand and ran as fast as I could down the street alongside many of these drivers, trying to distance us from the chaos. Five-year old Trung was having difficulty keeping up with my pace. I slowed to help him catch his breath. That's when an explosion sent us soaring into the air. My legs were moving, but there was no ground under my feet until I came crashing down, dragging Trung with me and dropping Phuong. Are we dead?
About the Author: We have all seen movies and read stories about the American experience of G.I. soldiers in Viet Nam, but what about the other side? Many Vietnamese men and women endured atrocities and horrible casualties from the war, and Americans have rarely heard the other side of what happened during that time in history. Author Dieu Bao grew up during the Viet Nam war and experienced everything from first love to bombs dropping on her house. She eventually moved to America to escape the madness going on in her country at that time, and has spent the last few decades building a meaningful life devoid of the violence and ambivalence of her youth. Today Dieu Bao lives in Oregon and is happily married. She aspires to share her life experience with anyone willing to listen.