Three Funerals for My Father
Love, Loss and Escape from Vietnam
by Jolie Phuong Hoang
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Aug 15 2022 | Archive Date Feb 15 2023
Description
Jolie Hoang grew up as one of ten children, part of a loving, prosperous Vietnamese family. All that changed when the communists took over in 1975; the family lived in constant fear of being sent to the dreaded “new economic zone.” Desperate to ensure the family’s safety and to provide a future for his children, Jolie’s father arranged three separate escapes. The first was a failure that cost most of their fortune, but the second was successful—six of his children reached Indonesia and settled in Canada before settling in the United States. He and his youngest daughter drowned during the disastrous third attempt.
Alternately told from the author’s perspective and that of her father’s ghost, Three Funerals for My Father is a poignant story of love, grief and resilience that spans three countries and fifty years. It is an intimate story of one family, a testament to the collective experience of the “boat people” who escaped communist Vietnam, and a plea on behalf of the millions of refugees currently seeking asylum across the globe.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
Hoang’s memoir is a moving tribute to her father’s memory and the lengths he took to make sure his family was safe.
Susan Blumberg-Kason, Asian Review of Books
. . . experiences come to life in a rare look at sacrifices made during the quest for freedom, providing an intimate examination of hardship and courage that should be on the shelves of any collection.
Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
Marketing Plan
The author is available for virtual events across North America and in-person events in southern California.
The author is available for virtual events across North America and in-person events in southern California.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781990160042 |
| PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Mai H, Reviewer
War stories are hard to read. For me, Vietnam War stories are the hardest. There is probably a recurring theme in my reviews regarding books by authors from the Vietnamese diaspora. I didn’t grow up a proud Vietnamese American woman. In fact, I was always rather embarrassed to be different. I’m so ashamed of that now, that I’ve finally come into my own. I love reading the stories of other Vietnamese women. And no, I don’t care to read Vietnam War stories by white people, so please stop suggesting them.
I 100% requested this book because the author shares a name with my father. He has a rather feminine first name, but it’s what his father wanted to call him. As someone who enjoys the trend of typically boy names for girls, I love this.
Jolie is Vietnamese Canadian, by way of escaping the war well after Vietnam fell to the communists. My parents were “lucky” to leave the day the South fell. My dad had a rather “easy” time of it, and talks about his experience. My mom, to this day, has not told us a first person account of escaping. I think that trauma continues to impact her health present day.
The story alternates between Jolie’s POV and her father’s. These aren’t labeled, so it’s sometimes hard to follow. Obviously, context clues help. Things get more confusing following her father’s death, as he continues to narrate.
Post-war Vietnam is a scary place to be. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be sent to a reeducation camp. You are punished for trying to leave. Jolie’s family tries to flee the country many times. They are thwarted countless times.
This isn’t a story for everyone. War stories are notoriously hard to swallow. But I think I needed this to understand my mom a little better. I used to be upset she wouldn’t tell her story, but I realize now she doesn’t owe me anything. Isn’t it enough that she survived and loves me?
In any case, this is a very moving read.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Christina de Witte; Mallika Kauppinen
Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, Cooking, Food & Wine
Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
