Caught in the crossroads of history, can a boy keep his hope--and his sister--alive?
Vonlai knows that sold... read full description
reviews
Apr 18, 2011
Chris
rated it: 
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 More...
"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 More...
Apr 06, 2011
Doret
rated it: 
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 h More...
The author will h More...
Apr 25, 2010
Charlou
rated it:
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 m More...
This book made m More...
Feb 20, 2011
Emily
rated it:
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, B
More...
Jan 15, 2012
Jean
rated it: 
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...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 22, 2010
Victoria
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
May 20, 2010
Steph Su
rated it:
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 i More...
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 i More...
Jun 15, 2010
Ari
rated it:
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...
Mar 27, 2010
Lindsey
rated it:
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...
Apr 17, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
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.
Dec 08, 2009
Shaun
rated it:
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.
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.
Aug 09, 2010
Osho
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Jan 31, 2010
Barbara
rated it:
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.
Feb 26, 2011
April
rated it:
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!
Oct 25, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
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.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 09, 2010
Vika
rated it:
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...
Mar 18, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
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...
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...
Jan 04, 2010
Lindsay
rated it:
An amazing debut from Laura Manivong!!
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 18, 2011
Diane
rated it:
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.
More...
Sep 04, 2010
Guys, take a break from the usual books about farts and spitwads, try reading Escaping the Tiger.
Vonlai learns to survive in a refugee camp--not just the starvation, heat, bugs and vicious guards but the tendency to sink into hopelessness.
He tries to keep his mother worry-free, help his father, stay alert to his sister's safety. You're gonna feel like you've plopped right down in the middle of this novel. Ask yourself:
Would I have survived?
Vonlai learns to survive in a refugee camp--not just the starvation, heat, bugs and vicious guards but the tendency to sink into hopelessness.
He tries to keep his mother worry-free, help his father, stay alert to his sister's safety. You're gonna feel like you've plopped right down in the middle of this novel. Ask yourself:
Would I have survived?
Nov 30, 2009
Christina
rated it:
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!
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 24, 2012
Jan 23, 2012
Jan 23, 2012
Jan 20, 2012
Jan 20, 2012
Jan 17, 2012
Dec 27, 2011
