Tangled Threads:a Hmong Girl's story by Pegi Deitz Shea

1995: Thirteen year old Mai is living with her grandmother in a overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand. Mai and her grandmother are Hmong, a ethnicity of Laos, where they have escaped the war. Mai's parents unfortunately died during bombings, and she lives at the refugee camp for ten years now. The camp is closing, and they are selected for going to America where Mai's uncle lives with his family. The dream of many refugees has come true for them!They will discover the privileges of their new life: medical care, abundant food, and an apartment all their own. But Mai will also feel the pressures of life as a teenager.Her cousin Heather, has hew own toughts about the more traditional ways of Mai, who still loves to make storyclothes, a Hmong traditional art.And then Mai and grandmother try to find their way in their new and strange American life.Mai really wants to obey her grandmother, but that is difficult with her new surroundings and expectations people have of her. It is hard to choose to disobey your grandmother(it is disrespectful for a Hmong girl to disobey elders) who needs a tolk for her visit to the social office, or to go to school for your math test. Will Mai really be happy in America and will she find a way to mix her old life with her new one?angled Threads is a very impressive, interesting and wonderful book by author Pegi Deitz Shea. The author knows a lot about the Hmong, and she did a great job writing this outstanding book.Mai's journey to America from war torn Laos is just amazing in every way. I don't want to post anu spoilers. Just take my advice and read it, you certainly will be impressed. I learned a lot of things I didn't know, it is an interesting view in the life of the Hmong. And about the amazingly beautiful storycloths, wich is kind of a red line in the book, as you can see on the cover and in the title. Outstanding book!Fans of the book Children of the river (Linda Crew) will love this book. Outstanding1