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Informative,
Insightful,
Beautiful

8 reviews

The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir
by Kao Kalia Yang

Published: 2008-04-01
Paperback : 277 pages
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6 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 8 of 8 members

In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America. But lacking a written language of their own, the Hmong experience has been primarily recorded by others. ...

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Introduction

In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America. But lacking a written language of their own, the Hmong experience has been primarily recorded by others. Driven to tell her family’s story after her grandmother’s death, The Latehomecomer is Kao Kalia Yang’s tribute to the remarkable woman whose spirit held them all together. It is also an eloquent, firsthand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard.

Beginning in the 1970s, as the Hmong were being massacred for their collaboration with the United States during the Vietnam War, Yang recounts the harrowing story of her family’s captivity, the daring rescue undertaken by her father and uncles, and their narrow escape into Thailand where Yang was born in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp.

When she was six years old, Yang’s family immigrated to America, and she evocatively captures the challenges of adapting to a new place and a new language. Through her words, the dreams, wisdom, and traditions passed down from her grandmother and shared by an entire community have finally found a voice.

Together with her sister, Kao Kalia Yang is the founder of a company dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services. A graduate of Carleton College and Columbia University, Yang has recently screened The Place Where We Were Born, a film documenting the experiences of Hmong American refugees. Visit her website at www.kaokaliayang.com.

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Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
by Elizabeth G. (see profile) 08/29/18

 
  "The Latehomecoming"by Mary G. (see profile) 10/26/16

I love reading books by local authors. This story brought to life the struggles and challenges of one particular Hmong family as they left their homeland behind and began their new life in America. While... (read more)

 
  "The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang"by Kathryn M. (see profile) 10/26/16

We found the book informative about the Hmong history, people and culture as well as giving a perspective on refugees and immigrating to a different country and culture. It is well worth the read.

 
  "The Late Homecomer"by Jill F. (see profile) 03/15/14

An eye opening account of the Hmong-American experience, a subject rarely written about.

 
  "The Latehomecomer"by A M. (see profile) 08/01/11

 
  "The Latehomecomer"by Cindy L. (see profile) 07/29/11

 
  "Latehomecomer"by Nancy T. (see profile) 02/18/10

It's always interesting to me to read about a culture different than my own. A very insightful story.

 
  "The Late Homecomer"by Claire K. (see profile) 01/28/10

I loved this book - beautifully written! An inspiring story, i would recommend this to anyone.

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