Summary
In the first half of chapter 1 Anh Do talks about how his mother and father met. They met on a train in 1976 just after the Vietnam War. Before 1976 when the communists took over people were able to sell goods to people on the train, however due to the new laws Anhs mother was unable to sell goods. Anhs father saved her from the guards. Six months after this event the two married each other. The second half of the book covers Anhs relatives and why his father is such a brave man. Such as when he saved Anhs uncles.
Plot
Chapter 1 starts with the dictation of Ahn's mother's journey to sell fruit and snacks to support her family of 10 people including herself. Some guards come along and start causing trouble and harassing her, telling her to remove her clothing. They are stopped by a boy who acts in her defence. She falls in love with him and soon they are married and have Ahn. Chapter 1 continues with the stories of uncle Huy's narrow miss at death and uncle Thanh's time in a communist re-education camp. Uncle Huy and his friends got plastered the night before the had to leave for war, but they slept in and watched their boat explode on the horizon. Uncle Thanh contracted malaria and had to be treated by submerging his organs in salt water and he almost died. later in chapter 1 Ahn's grandmother shows how generous she is by taking in 2 more children after already needing to look after 6 others and also gives insight to the conditions of the life Ahn's father grew up with, how catching 3 little fish was a big success and how he hated the Soldiers. Chapter 1 finishes with the story of how Ahn's father saved uncles Thanh and Huy from the communist re-education camp by dressing up in a high ranked officers uniform and walked right in and took them right from under the communists no questions asked.
Theme
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Key Quote
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