House without walls May 10, 1979 to June 7, 1980

Set soon after the 1975 Fall of Saigon, Russell's novel reveals how life in Communist Vietnam becomes especially difficult for ethnic Chinese residents. Eleven-year-old Lam and her brothers, Daigo and Dee Dee, flee, hoping to join their baba in San Francisco. Tragically, Daigo is arrested by police before boarding the boat, and the sea journey is fraught with difficulties for Lam and the younger Dee Dee: lack of food and water, pirate raids, a leaky ship, and ""rescuers"" who tow their boat into international waters to avoid providing sanctuary. Eventually Lam and Dee Dee arrive in a refugee camp, where they use sticks and a plastic drop cloth to construct a house without walls. Russell's fictionalized verse novel is based on the experiences of two of her friends, whose own journey paralleled that of Lam and Dee Dee. The account is frequently gritty (reflecting the cruelties refugees often experience) but lightened by the kindness displayed by one family who informally adopt the siblings. Emphasizing resilience and hope, this reminds readers that refugee issues are perennial.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2019 Booklist

Based on a real-life journey, this fictional account in verse by Russell (Tofu Quilt) details the harrowing 13-month flight of an 11-year-old ethnic Chinese refugee from Vietnam, beginning in May 1979 during the Vietnamese boat people exodus. Lam's mother buys passage for Lam and her two brothers to make their way to their father (who previously escaped the newly Communist country for San Francisco), but when her older brother is arrested en route to the boat, Lam is suddenly in charge of her seven-year-old sibling Dee Dee. In a straightforward voice, she narrates the relentlessly repugnant, often tragic details of the ordeal-pirates, lack of potable water, a corpse aboard. What emerges most prominently is the strong bonds that form among the passenger community, tied together not only by their conditions, both at sea and in refugee camps in Malaysia and Indonesia, but by shared anxiety about their future. Kindness and generosity-a refugee family takes Lam and Dee Dee under their wing-even in the face of selfishness and betrayal, mark Lam's story, as do her resilience and growing maturity. An opening historical note and map provide necessary context, and an epilogue from the actual Lam makes for a reassuring close. Ages 10-14. Agent: Adria Goetz, Martin Literary Management. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.