Grade: 5
Helen Hoang’s second book in this world sat on my TBR shelf for about a year. For some reason the blurb just didn’t call to me. I am so thankful I finally picked it up.
Khai made the decision long ago that love was not for him. His mother is determined that he shall marry. When she runs across Esme on a trip to Vietnam, she convinces Esme to return with her to the states to marry her son. Esme leaves her entire world, including her young son, to try to build a good life for her family in America. When Esme figured out that Khai is not going to marry her, she tries to figure out some way to stay in America after the fiance visa expires.
Esme is unrelenting. Life has thrown her some curveballs, but she never lets them take her down. The fact that she comes to America knowing very little English, but gets herself a job and then enrolls in school, with little to no assistance.
Khai is autistic and already has trouble communicating with others. Literally not speaking the same language is basically a recipe for disaster. The author did such a beautiful job writing how these two figured out how to speak to one another.
I was rooting so hard for these characters and everything they were trying to accomplish. I wanted the world for Esme, and wanted Khai to figure out what was keeping him from happiness.
A beautifully written story of two individuals that had to learn about themselves while wading into a relationship and learning someone else.
Bottomline: Pick it up!
Lori Carroll
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