For Viet Nguyen, the only thing worse than rules are the people who
enforce them. This may not be the best attitude to have in a society
that punishes dissent with death. A rebellious teenager is often the
main character of young adult fiction, but what makes Viet particularly
interesting is that he challenges a system that borders on genocide.
Communist tanks advance through Viet s Saigon neighborhood when he is
fourteen years old, and overtake the Presidential Palace as American
helicopters retreat over the South China Sea. During the frantic
evacuation, the American Embassy isn t able to destroy secret files
containing the names of South Vietnamese intelligence officers. Viet s
father is one of these officers. Within days, the city is infiltrated by
communist soldiers who take over public buildings and spies who move
into local neighborhoods. To survive, his family must keep a low
profile. Viet s life was better during the war. With the Americans gone,
he has little hope for freedom and must watch his every step. But his
rebellious spirit gets the upper hand and he is arrested in the black
market, becoming one of more than a million people in labor camps spread
across the jungles of Vietnam. Viet s captors have a dream. When
everyone on earth is under their control, they believe, we will have
reached Communist Heaven. Many of the prisoners are ex-soldiers. Others
are religious leaders, academics and anyone who might provide leadership
against the new regime. Tens of thousands of these prisoners die of
starvation, malaria and physical beatings. Viet is determined not to be
one of them. He uses the same daring that led to his arrest to create a
chance to break free. Based on the true story of Viet Nguyen, this novel
is about a teenager who makes some mistakes and faces the consequences.
To know freedom, he must not only escape from prison, but also from his
country."
