Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story

Author: Pegi Deitz Shea

Tangled Threads chronicles the immigration story of a young Hmong girl whose experiences parallel those of refugees from many parts of the world. Mai Yang is fifteen years old when she and her grandmother leave the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand to reunite with her uncle's family in Providence, Rhode Island. In a realistic, yet empathetic way, the novel tells of Mai Yang's long journey to the United States and her difficult adjustment to life there among members of her assimilated family and indifferent American classmates and teachers. The end of the novel- by which time Mai Yang has found a place for herself in her family, her school and in the Hmong-American community- is a testament to the will of all immigrants. Because of some graphic scenes and difficult subject-matter, this novel would be best for a high-school audience. The reading level makes it well-suited for high-school TESOL students.

Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story

Year Released: 2003

Grades 9-12