Boat People

In recent years, I have developed an interest in Asian culture, particularly in the customs and mysteries of the Vietnamese people. Considering this, it was not surprising to me that I should enjoy Boat People as much as I did. The author, Mary Gardner, injects her story with compassion and respect for a group of people set adrift in a peregrine and bewildering land. Mrs. Gardner's five years as a social worker for a group of Vietnamese immigrants in Galveston are obvious here, from her knowledge of these people and their tribulations.The story involves Hai Truong, a malnourished, hospitalized Vietnamese refugee, and her family, who take up residence in Galveston, Texas. Events in the lives of this family are interspersed among chapters detailing the experiences of Dr. Lang Nguyen, another refugee who is mystified by some aspects of American culture, and of Azelita Simpson, an African American volunteer at a local hospital who also works at an elementary school, where she observes the many problems involving the Vietnamese students and their difficulty in acclimating to America. She soon finds herself immersed in the lives of several Vietnamese youths, who make her a gift of some shrimp caught on their father's boat. While Azelita struggles to understand her new charges, Lang finds his attentions diverted by Shirley, a friendly, if culturally ignorant nurse.This was a marvelously crafted, engrossing book. It deserved the awards and accolades that it received. It would be a shame if this were to be taken out of print.