Listen, Slowly

Listen, Slowly is Thanhhà Lai’s enlightening, poignant and unexpectedly humorous middle-grade verse novel about Mai, a Californian girl of Vietnamese background who travels to Vietnam with her grandmother to uncover truths about her grandfather’s past. Barely able to speak the language, and not knowing about Vietnam’s geography, local customs, or even her distant relatives, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds to survive the trip. This charming, coming-of-age story will introduce readers to various aspects of Vietnamese culture with wry wit and genuine enthusiasm, as seen through the eyes of a strong, ten-year old protagonist.