Butterfly Yellow
Bibliography
Lại, Thanhhà. (2019). Butterfly Yellow. HarperCollins.
Plot Summary
Butterfly Yellow tells the story of the end of the Việt Nam War when Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport to find a way for them to get to America safely. But it takes a terrible turn for Hằng. Linh is ripped from her arms and taken to America without her. After six years, Hằng, a refugee, moved from Vietnam to Texas. Her goal is to find her brother, but 6 years have changed a lot. Looking for him, she meets a boy named LeeRoy, who decides to help her after Hằng’s “nice” way of volun-telling him to take her. When Hằng finally finds her brother, he doesn’t remember anything. She spends the story trying to bridge the gap in their relationship, while learning English and managing her trauma.
Critical Analysis
This book would be a great resource for ELL teachers to read. When I was reading this book, the whole time I was picturing a student from the past. When she came to me, she was 5 years old, and her family had left Vietnam to live with family in Texas. The way she spoke and would become frustrated was everything my student went through, but at 5 years old, instead of 18.
Something I often hear from ELL families is the worry about losing their culture. That struggle can be seen clearly in this book. Hằng and Linh both struggle with their cultural identities. Hằng is trying to hold on to the past, but Linh does not remember any of his Vietnamese roots.
It is written in a non-linear structure. There are flashbacks of Hằng’s memories of Vietnam, and the journey is placed throughout the story. It takes the reader back in time to show why she is the way she is and the reasoning behind her reactions. Those memories are not in chronological order; they come as the memory is relevant to what is happening at the time.
The story is written from several characters' points of view. I believe this helps the reader see the language barrier and cultural disconnect. LeeRoy helps the reader see Hằng’s growth throughout the story, and we see his growth into more of an adult. LeeRoy, for example, is always a constant and confident person in Hằng’s life. We see him trying to understand her English and becoming good at it, ensuring Hằng is heard. David, who is Linh’s American name, has forgotten his roots, and this is the side of what happens when a child is too young to remember where they came from.
This story is beautifully written, so the reader can hear Hằng’s broken English. Thanhhà Lại makes it easy to see and feel Hằng’s trauma through her English, flashbacks, and stress. As the story progresses, we start to see her heal, but it comes with the connections of friends, the persistence she shows, and her stories she learns to share. Her brother has a life that he loves, and through him, she learns that family does not have to be blood; it can be chosen.
I believe what makes this a young adult book is not only the characters' ages but the way it is written. Thanhha Lai mixes trauma with humor in a way that seems appropriate for this age range. Several of the characters in the story show the growth from a youth mindset to adulthood. All the topics in the story, like war, loss, refugees, and more, can be suited for adult literature, too. But because we follow Hang, a teenage main character, we follow her journey of self-discovery and emotions that could connect more with teenagers, which fits into the young adult genre.
Overall, it is a fantastic book. It is another recent read that I find myself randomly thinking about. My only critique is that some of the scenes about LeeRoy noticing girls felt a little unnecessary. I guess the author was showing us that he was starting to see Hang differently. More as a young woman compared to the childlike figure he first described her as. I didn’t think those moments added much to the story for me, but it could for other readers.
Review Excerpts
"Masterfully conjures grace, beauty, and humor out of the tragic wake of the Vietnam War.” — Kirkus review
"...in this radiant pearl of a book, Lai shows that we human beings — fragile or strong, saved or doomed, frightened or brave, and sometimes all of those things at once — are singing the very same song: a song of grace and redemption, a song of courage, a song of hope.” — The New York Times , Jennifer Donnelly
Awards and Recognitions
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Rip Van Winkle Award
NPR Favorite Books of 2019
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books of 2019
Booklist Editors' Choice Books for Youth
BookBrowse Best YA Book of 2019
New York Public Library Best Books of 2019 for Teens
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of 2019
Spirit of Texas Reading Program 2020 High School Recommendation
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2019 Blue Ribbon List
Winner of the Audiophile Earphones Award
https://www.thanhhalai.com/butterfly-yellow Is the author's website which is a great resource.
Have students watch an unfamiliar show in another language. Ask them how they felt and how they would communicate. This will help them understand how Hang felt.
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