Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Escaping the Tiger

by Laura Manivong (Goodreads Author)

4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 · rating details · 55 ratings · 26 reviews

Caught in the crossroads of history, can a boy keep his hope--and his sister--alive?

Vonlai knows that soldiers who guard the Mekong River shoot at anything that moves, but in oppressive Communist Laos, there's nothing left for him, his spirited sister, Dalah, and his desperate parents. Their only hope is a refugee camp in Thailand—on the other side of the river.

Whe

...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published March 9th 2010 by HarperCollins (first published March 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

2010 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade Literature)

119th out of 301 books — 1,988 voters

YA Novels of 2010

220th out of 612 books — 2,641 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 212)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 17, 2013 Julie Granger rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was reading this book for a research project in English, and I was not expecting to be so touched by it. I was expecting a boring story written about a boring topic. Instead, I found myself reading one of the best books I had read in a long time. It was touching, thought provoking, and perspective changing. Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong is a book that showcases family loyalty and values, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Escaping the Tiger is set in the 1980s. It is the story o...more I was reading this book for a research project in English, and I was not expecting to be so touched by it. I was expecting a boring story written about a boring topic. Instead, I found myself reading one of the best books I had read in a long time. It was touching, thought provoking, and perspective changing. Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong is a book that showcases family loyalty and values, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Escaping the Tiger is set in the 1980s. It is the story of a Lao family trying to flee the Communist government in their homeland in hopes of a better life. The story is often told from the viewpoint of Vonlai, the young boy in the family. The reader is taken through the entire journey that refugees face, starting with escaping the homeland. The story starts right in the middle of the action, with Vonlai’s family fleeing Laos. They flee across the Mekong River into Thailand.
Once in Thailand, the reader receives a detailed explanation of life in a refugee camp. It goes through the conditions, the guards, and the abuse, all seen the way a child would experience it. Reading this book makes the reader realize what a terrible process refugees go through; all the struggles they face every day. The characters make new friends, new enemies, and really learn who they can trust. Being a spectator to this horrific process is heart-wrenching.
By Vonlai’s standards, life in the Na Pho refugee camp is worse than his old life in Laos. He doesn’t completely understand why his family had to leave. Vonlai finds himself missing his friends across the river, but he does know that if his family can be relocated to a third country his life will be much better than it was before the move. Another thing Vonlai doesn’t understand is why there is so much inequality in the camp. Some people are treated better than others. For example, men who served in militaries that sided with Thailand were more likely to be resettled more quickly than other men. Vonlai’s family had some military background, so Vonlai hoped that their family would be transferred to the United States more quickly than others.
To pass the time in camp, Vonlai played soccer on a field of rocks. He made friends with whom he shared a deep, bonding passion. However, none of his soccer playing friends compared to his relationship with the old man who sat under the tree whittling wood day in and day out. This man is Colonel, and Vonlai has a very tight relationship with him. Colonel provides a lot of valuable insight into life in a refugee camp, and provokes a lot of heart breaking thoughts.
Overall, Escaping the Tiger is an amazing read. It is everything that a reader could ask for in a book: happiness, tears, romance and struggle. I would very strongly recommend reading this book, as Laura Manivong manages to turn a tough subject into an enticing book that you just can’t put down.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, j, life, not-graphic, ya

Dalah sat up, cradling her abdomen and rocking on the edge of the bed. "I hate this place."

"I know," Vonlai answered. "I hate it, too, but we won't be here forever."

"How do you know? Jun's been here since she was ten. That's almost four years, Little Brother. Four years! She doesn't even talk about getting out anymore."

-----

Stuck in limbo, an in-between camp of the unwanted. That's where Vonlai and his family have found themselves. They fled their homeland of Laos because they doubted their chan...more Dalah sat up, cradling her abdomen and rocking on the edge of the bed. "I hate this place."

"I know," Vonlai answered. "I hate it, too, but we won't be here forever."

"How do you know? Jun's been here since she was ten. That's almost four years, Little Brother. Four years! She doesn't even talk about getting out anymore."

-----

Stuck in limbo, an in-between camp of the unwanted. That's where Vonlai and his family have found themselves. They fled their homeland of Laos because they doubted their chances of survival at the hands of the Pathet Lao government, nearly dying crossing the Mekong River in the middle of the night. Fled to Thailand, a country that didn't want them but provided space for refugee camps, waiting to see if nations like the U.S. or France might reluctantly take them in.

Life in refugee camp limbo consists of waiting in little half-buildings, the entire family sharing one bed, barely surviving on minimal rice and a bit of meat delivered once a week. Limited, shared water from a well, no electricity or any other convenience. Playing soccer to pass the time, hoping to learn useful things from each other without getting irritated or violent. Hoping to keep hoping, because that's all they have.

-----

"Can you teach me a few English words, Colonel? Tell me about America. I'm in the mood for a dream."

"America," Colonel said in English. "Land of the free. Home of the brave." Then he switched back to Lao. "A place where they have special food for dogs."

"What do you mean, special food?"

"Food for dogs that people don't eat. Comes in little cans or big bags. Americans buy it at their market stores."

"You mean Americans don't give their old rice to the dogs?" Vonlai asked, trying to wrap his mind around what a dog would eat other than table scraps.

"Well, Americans don't eat rice every day. Even if they did, they still have a type of food only for dogs. Ground-up meat that people don't eat. Dog food."

"Why can't people eat it if it's meat?"

"Because it's food for dogs. Specially made for puppies. Old dogs. Even fat dogs."

Vonlai let out a laugh. "Fat dogs! Now I know you're teasing! Tell me something that's true."(less)

like · see review

Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 3 of 5 stars

1982, 12 yr old Vonlai, his older sister Dalah and their parents must escape their home country of Laos, which was had a Communist government. In the beginning the family leaves in the night for Thailand. While in Thailand they must stay in a refugee camp. Vonlai's father tells the family they will only be there a few weeks. However, they aren't given an opportunity to leave for a few years. Escaping the Tiger centers around Vonlai and his families time in Thailand.

The author will hook many rea...more

like · see review

Apr 25, 2010 Charlou Lunsford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j

It's 1982, Vonlai is 12, wants to build skyscrapers and loves playing soccer. Typical 12-year old stuff with one difference. Vonlai and his family escaped Communist Laos in the middle of the night down the Mekong River passed armed soldiers and are now in a refugee camp in Thailand. He is constantly hungry, he lives in a hut, and his sister is in danger. He still plays soccer, but in a field of rocks. How can he and his family survive to make it to the United States?

This book made me think abou...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I remember standing in the Columbus Airport with flags, flowers and signs waiting for the Laotian family we had sponsored to arrive. It was so exciting as we watched for their faces to appear in the crowd of people departing the plane. When they first appeared, I remember shyness overcoming me. We were the focus of the airport - this family of five and the crowd of sponsors who were there to greet them. It was overwhelming to me - a child of 10 or 11. I cannot imagine how it felt to Nenh, Bonsou...more

like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Jean Haberman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I never had to experience the immigrant / refugee experience, but I personally know people who escaped from Laos to Thiland refugee camps and then to the U.S. In this story, Vonlai and his family have to leave the only home he has ever known to escape the Communist Pathet Lao government. It was hard for Vonlai to keep up his spirits with a few grains of rice a day, filthy, cramped living quarters and always being under the watch of corrupt guards. His story of survival kept me turning pages to s...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 22, 2010 Victoria Dixon rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone over the age of 12

Recommended to Victoria by: Laura Manivong

Escaping the Tiger is the story of Vonlai Sirivong, his mother, father and sister, and it is based on the first hand experience of the author’s husband.
Twelve-year-old Vonlai wakes up when his father shakes him and says, “We’re crossing tonight.” Vonlai and his family paddle, then swim for safety across the Mekong river from communist Laos into Thailand. As Laotians say, “Escaping the tiger to face the crocodile.” The refugee situation in Thailand leaves Vonlai and his family in fear for his sis...more Escaping the Tiger is the story of Vonlai Sirivong, his mother, father and sister, and it is based on the first hand experience of the author’s husband.
Twelve-year-old Vonlai wakes up when his father shakes him and says, “We’re crossing tonight.” Vonlai and his family paddle, then swim for safety across the Mekong river from communist Laos into Thailand. As Laotians say, “Escaping the tiger to face the crocodile.” The refugee situation in Thailand leaves Vonlai and his family in fear for his sister’s safety from the camp guards and in constant hunger for both food and a home.
There were so many gorgeous, touching moments in this book, it’s not fair to share just one. However, I hate spoilers, so I picked the following passage. It was the first, but not the last time I cried. Early on, we learn of Vonlai’s dream to become an architect like his father was before the war. His father’s book of western architecture was a prized possession until the communists learned of it through Vonlai’s indiscretion and they burned the book:
From then on, his father stopped telling stories about America, but Vonlai repeated the old ones to himself and drew the pictures in his mind so he wouldn’t forget. And Vonlai did dream, while vowing never to betray Pah’s trust again. He dreamed of one day seeing those architectural marvels with his own eyes. Building a life for himself as strong as skyscrapers, double-decker bridges, underground trains, and soaring highways that looped up and around one another like ribbon on a gift.
Those desires and dreams are difficult to hold onto when a month in the camp turns into a year, then four years. Vonlai makes friends with Colonel, a kind old man with hideous war wounds earned from the Pathet Lao communist guards in Laos. Colonel teaches Vonlai how to survive hell and still cling to his dreams. Their interaction remains true throughout the book and moved me to tears. Have I mentioned how much I love books that elicit strong emotional responses?
“Escaping the Tiger” is among the most uplifting pieces of literature I’ve been privileged to read and I want to thank the author and her husband for sharing the tale.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Glenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction novel is about a 12 year old Laotian boy and his family in the early 1980s. Vonlai and his family must flee from Laos and spend four years in a refuge camp in Thailand. Due to its content surrounding political events, this book is appropriate for children ages 11-14. The author draws you into the the story with her dangerous and eventually hopeful plot, as well as the realistic characters she creates. This book may be used in a classroom setting to give students a glimpse...more

1 like · like · see review

May 20, 2010 Steph Su rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: debs10, poc

Told in unassuming third-person narrative, ESCAPING THE TIGER sheds a necessary light on a painful part of history: the Lao refugees’ experience. While the writing is not quite spectacular, first-time author Laura Manivong just might move you to tears, as she did me.

ESCAPING THE TIGER is a slow close-up on the characters’ emotions as they go through their refugee experience. That means that if you’re looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven story, you won’t find it here. Vonlai’s time in the refuge...more Told in unassuming third-person narrative, ESCAPING THE TIGER sheds a necessary light on a painful part of history: the Lao refugees’ experience. While the writing is not quite spectacular, first-time author Laura Manivong just might move you to tears, as she did me.

ESCAPING THE TIGER is a slow close-up on the characters’ emotions as they go through their refugee experience. That means that if you’re looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven story, you won’t find it here. Vonlai’s time in the refugee camp is full of unending tension, impatience, and doubt. The refugees go through what most of us can never imagine: unhygienic conditions, extreme lack of privacy, and doubt as to whether everything you did prior to the Communist takeover was worth anything at all. But in the midst of all this are sparks of humanity that shine like relieving fireflies in the darkness: Vonlai’s banter with his friend stands out to me here. This book does something extremely difficult by balancing the inhumanity of the Na Pho experience with the little, warm things about people that keep our spirits alive even in the lowest of times.

The characters did feel a bit stiff at times, though, for me. I often couldn’t figure out whether the characters’ jarring “unapproachability” was intentional or the result of somewhat stilted writing. For example, Vonlai and his sister Dalah’s bickering often got borderline vicious with no real explanation from their personalities, with the result being that their improved relationship at the end came off as questionable to me. I was left feeling less emotionally attached to the characters than I wanted to be, especially since the book is on such a sensitive matter, but I’m not sure if anything could’ve been done about that, whether that was just an inevitable result of the subject material.

Overall, you can read ESCAPING THE TIGER as an essential work on Lao and Thai history, despite its sometimes detached writing. This could be a good one for the avid young reader who’s interested in learning an important history lesson.(less)

like · see review

Jun 15, 2010 Ari rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 6th graders and above

The author managed to create a cast of characters that you are rooting for because they go through so much but they are flawed. Vonlai, Dalah and their mother (Meh) each have low spirits at some point. At the refugee camp they barely get anything to eat, Meh manages to make the most out of the little food they get. She also insists that Vonlai look after Dalah and never let her out of his sight. Meh takes care of the family but she also sinks into a depression. Dalah has her ups and her downs, o...more The author managed to create a cast of characters that you are rooting for because they go through so much but they are flawed. Vonlai, Dalah and their mother (Meh) each have low spirits at some point. At the refugee camp they barely get anything to eat, Meh manages to make the most out of the little food they get. She also insists that Vonlai look after Dalah and never let her out of his sight. Meh takes care of the family but she also sinks into a depression. Dalah has her ups and her downs, one minute she's enjoying herself with her friends, the next she is listless in bed. Vonlai can act selfish sometimes, but that's a normal thing for a kid. He puts up with all the sacrifices he has to make, but he can only take so much. Vonlai was my favorite character, he was full of hopes and dreams. He wants to go to America and be an architect. I loved that he was so protective of his older sister, even though she resisted his protection, but it was necessary due to Thai guards trying to take advantage of female refuges.

The only thing that struck me as a little odd was Dalah's character. She is described as feisty, but my first impressions of her were that she was a whiner. To me, feisty and whining don't go hand in hand, being feisty is having a lot of spirit and determination. At the beginning of the novel I don't think she really understood the urgency of her family's situation and the danger they were in while trying to escape Laos. Even towards the end of the novel, I didn't love Dalah but I did get a better understanding of her. Dalah couldn't go to school because in the refuge camp, school only went up to sixth grade. Usually I like feisty characters but I guess Dalah just wasn't feisty enough for me. Other than Dalah, I really liked all the other characters (Kavin's story almost made me cry. I love him!), they weren't stock characters.

Escaping the Tiger tells an important story that isn't well known. I always thought that life in a refugee camp was filled with waiting and not the most comfortable of conditions, I never knewe about the lack of educational opportunities there as well as the lack of food and respect (the guards were usually very rude to the refugees). The story of the Laotian people and the hardships they face in their Communist home country as well as in the refugee camps is heartbreaking, but the characters in this novel are uplifting. The novel is sprinkled with small happy moments that keep the story from being too bleak. It's slow moving, but never boring since there are many little battles going on. The little details that people might overlook about living in a refugee camp; the feelings of loneliness, selfish and hope that come with the situation are well portrayed. The sometimes selfish actions of the characters are far overpowered by the uplifting actions they do afterwards. This story is even more powerful because it's based on a slightly similar experience the author's husband went though. His story is included in the afterword. They are both amazing stories.(less)

like · see review

Mar 27, 2010 Lindsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that I have the opportunity to read every now and again that I really cherish. My favorite books in the young adult genre are those that delve into the difficult, real-life experiences of teens placed into impossible circumstances. I also love learning about these other cultures and the truth behind what has been happening around the world. It’s unfortunate that all too often here in America, we don’t care enough about the world outside of our own country to pay it muc...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2010 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the best YA books about Southeast Asia I have read, and it made me aware of what a refuge camp is, what it means. This is the story of a Laotian family, escaping communist Laos in the early 1980s, and their years in a refuge camp in Thailand. The story is well done - not flat and colorless like many I've read. Each chapter is marked with a date - one in the 1980s, a time when I was in high school, then college. It provides a bizarre context to the story.

like · see review

Dec 08, 2009 Shaun Hutchinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had the pleasure to read ESCAPING THE TIGER as an ARC and I have to admit that I was wary of not being able to understand the culture. However, Laura Manivong managed to weave the familiar and the alien into a tapestry that made me laugh, worry, and clap for joy. While I felt Vonlai's pain at being an outsider, I never felt like an outsider myself.

This is the kind of book I wish I'd had as a kid and the kind of book all kids will enjoy. A wonderful debut.

like · see review

Aug 09, 2010 Osho rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, southeast-asia

It's odd to call this a "sweet" book since it's a young adult novel about life as a Laotian refugee in a Thai camp, but nevertheless, it is a sweet book. Part of this is the presumed target audience, which appears to be middle readers, but a great part is due to the engaging characters and their development.

Manivong is married to a man whose story inspired this one, so I expect that her depiction of protagonist Vonlai's thoughts and psychology is accurate, though it seemed closer to Western psyc...more

like · see review

Jan 30, 2010 Barbara Stuber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: barbara-stuber

Vonlai stepped right into my heart. Would he survive? Would his family? After reading ESCAPING THE TIGER I have a heightened sensitivity to the plight and courage of refugees. Laura Manivong has given us a gritty story about real people that touches our humanity and our determination to hope. A beautifully written must read for all ages.

like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Good book about a country and people I know very little about. I really got to know the characters and wanted it to have a nice tied up happy ending for everyone but I think it was true to reality and did not. I really enjoyed learning from this book and story. Great local author that will be visiting the Plaza Library in March!

like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent YA novel about a family who escapes the Pathet Lao in 1982 and goes to a refugee camp in Thailand. They are hoping to get to the United States immediately, but instead have to spend years in that camp in poverty conditions. It is a very good story of hope and perseverance.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 23, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to read this while it was being written. Its first line will always be one of my favorites. Evoking, emotional, and beautifully written. I heart Laura Manivong!

like · see review

Jun 09, 2010 Vika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautifully written, strong, realistic characters. Vonlai, what a strong boy! living in fear for so many years, being hated by everyone, and still being so optimistic. Still not giving up, still having BIG dreams. He is someone many of us need to look up to. I loved how the family stayed together through the hard times, Meh handled herself pretty well, i think, seeing your kids hungry everyday cant be easy. Vonlai's love to his sister is amazing. even though he is younger than her, he is her lit...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2010 Lisa Cindrich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-ya, survival-stories

Excellent depiction both of life in a refugee camp and life under communist rule. The story is honest and unflinching, but not so brutal that children won't be able to handle reading it. Should be a real eye-opener for young readers born after the end of the Cold War.

Made me very grateful for this country. And for the baked chicken I ate for dinner last night. And the meat I ate the night before that, and the night before that...

like · see review

Jan 04, 2010 Lindsay Eland rated it 5 of 5 stars

An amazing debut from Laura Manivong!!

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2013 Wanderlove96 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Adventure in Laos.

like · see review

May 16, 2012 CRLS added it

Shelves: war-fiction

communist Laos

like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: immigrant-experience, southeast-asia, young-adult

It is hard to judge this book. Again and again I must come up against my incredible ignorance. This time, the story is about Laotian refugees in Thailand. Even though there is great dignity in most of the refugees, my reaction was one of despair at how we treat each other. The author of the book is the wife of a man who lived through escape from the Pathet Lao and detention in Thailand and then disappointment as an immigrant to the US. It is not particularly well written but still compelling.

like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Christina Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book transports you to the main character's world and reminds us all of the power of the human spirit. Great job by Laura Manivong!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 08, 2010 Karen Schalker rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’m partial but love this book’s universal message in its beautiful story with characters that I think of often – and for whom I wish the best – long after my reading of it.

like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Emma Lefever marked it as to-read

Jun 07, 2013 Allie marked it as to-read

Jun 06, 2013 Dy-an marked it as to-read

Jun 03, 2013 Ary marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (1)

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Genres

Young Adult

5 users

Historical Fiction

3 users

Adventure > Survival

2 users

See top shelves...

About Laura Manivong

Laura Manivong never knew she wanted to write books until she met her husband, but the clues were there all along. Her mother and grandfather were writers. Her college professor told her to keep writing, which made her wonder, write what? And her study at Missouri State University, after some detours, led her to a job as a television writer/producer. But after marrying Troy, it began to click. Aft...more

More about Laura Manivong...

Books by Laura Manivong

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Escaping the Tiger

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Escaping the Tiger
avg rating	preview: Escaping the Tiger Goodreads rating: 4.22 (55 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6609586-escaping-the-tiger?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1256306231l/6609586.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6609586-escaping-the-tiger?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong[/url]

Escaping the Tiger

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website