Home Is East

by Many Ly

Ever since she was a tiny child, Amy’s father’s friends have told her that her young, pretty mother is going to leave her. Of course Amy knows that could never happen—her parents love each other and her, so how could her mother ever leave? Then, one chilly afternoon, Amy’s mother never shows up to pick her up from school. In that moment, Amy confronts a world that she never wanted to know existed.

Amy and her father are Khmer, or Cambodian. In Florida’s tight-knit Cambodian community, word travels fast—and pity soon becomes suffocating. When Amy and her father escape to California, Amy faces new challenges, including a father that she barely recognizes. But with strength and courage, Amy builds a new network of friends, and comes to understand her father’s deep sadness—and his fierce love for her. Home Is East is a moving and hopeful story of how a father and daughter came apart, and how they found their way back to each other.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true voice of a Cambodian youth who has family problems. Her father swings from dutiful to devil in minutes, leaving Amy to be mature beyond her years. Her mother is absent.The style of language fits the compelling story. A fabulous first novel by a Pittsburgh author.

[Jayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mighty Amy
I enjoyed reading this book because it was a good steady and entertaining genre. This book is about a girl named Amy who is Cambodian. During her childhood, she is growing up into a broken family. Amy is a very strong character and she goes through a lot of pain. Her parents want her to be a good Cambodian girl, but she is growing up in California with other American children who have more privileges and respect but her parents treat her like she is an infant without her own brain. As Amy is growing up she is having to mother her dad and herself because her mother left her.
Amy's father originally lived in Cambodia and his village was raided and he had to move to the US.
Later in his life, he wanted a wife so he went to Cambodia to fall in love and so what he got was a relationship that was toxic. In the beginning of the book, the mother leaves the two of them b themselves with hardly any money. The book is about them moving to California and trying to recover their lives.
It is very interesting how "Many Le" the author makes you have feelings for them and sympathy for their situation. She gives you the first person narration from Amy and she gives you all the thoughts that she has about her mom and dad. I think it is amazing how she lets you enter into her mind and life.

[Yaqueliné · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, when I read this book I didn't think that I was going to enjoy it because it's not one of my favorites genres. But surprisingly it became one of my favorites. I enjoyed reading the different characters and how they portray in the book - especially Amy. At the start of the book, she only knew a life that contained her Mother and Father, but when her mom left and her dad became a stranger to her, Amy had a lot of growing up at such a young age. It was somewhat difficult to read the parts where Amy and her dad would verbally and physically fight, but that only added realism to the story.

My only negative thoughts are that there wasn't a valid reason why the mother left. Was it really because her husband was growing old while she was still young and still had a chance to another chance at life? I don't understand how a mother just leaves her daughter one day for no reason because the author didn't give a clear understanding. There was only vague ideas. Also, about Amy's friend, Anothny, I really thought that he and Amy could have connected on a more emotional level since he also was living a little bit like in the life of Amy about family problems. There could of have been more between the two characters.

Overall, it is a great read and I recommend this book for others to read as well. 5 stars!

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished The Outsiders, which might be a top 10 book for me, and then I read Home Is East, which might also be a top 10. My former coworker wrote this book, although I did not know that she wrote it until 15 years later. I could not put this book down…until the end, when I deliberately closed the book every few pages to savor the words that she had written. What a beautiful story, Many! Thank you.

[autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD i read it with my love so like what could i say bad about it

[Wufusk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had planned to give this book to my niece after reading it, but I think I'll donate it to the local abuse shelter instead. I didn't enjoy reading it, because it was too upsetting. But it might be good for a child who has had an unhealthy family life to read about others in similarly difficult situations, so see that s/he is not alone, and that things can turn out okay.

The messages about abuse and friendship were poignant, but I'm not sure what the author is trying to say about gambling - it's very bad, but you can drink/gamble all night and come out rich. The poker scene on the beach felt a bit like a lesson in how to play, and didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the story.

It's sad that the Cambodian people depicted in this story do not consider themselves American, even after many years here. America is a land of people from all over, so it is possible to become completely American without forgetting/losing the heritage/culture of your homeland.

[10-11 Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who's parents met in Cambodia.When they move to America the girl is born.Now that she is almost grown up she understands more.What the girl doesn't know is that her life is about to get hard.Her life is about to get so hard that one of her parents will leave.When one of them leaves her life just got harder and harder.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago, and it made me cry. It's stuck with me all these years because it was so poignant and touching. It really left an impression on me.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!