The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

Name: The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood
Rating: 4.699999809265137 (20 reviews)

Kien Nguyen

Oct 2008 · Hachette+ORM

20 reviews

Ebook

370

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

"In this memoir, the son of an anonymous American GI and a wealthy Vietnamese woman relives ten years of hell in South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon."*

Saigon fell to the Viet Cong on April thirty, 1975. Kien Nguyen watched the last U.S. Army helicopter leave without him, without his brother, without his mother, without his grandparents. Left to a nightmarish existence in a violated and decimated country, Kien was more at risk than most because of his odd blond hair and his light eyes—because he was Amerasian. He was the most unwanted.

Told with stark and poetic brilliance, this is a story of survival and hope, a moving and personal record of a tumultuous and important piece of history.

"A remarkable tale of survival at all costs." — People

"Nguyen writes with a voice of innocence that takes us into the heart and spirit of one person's undeserved and tragic childhood." — USA Today

"A lyrical narrative . . . Nguyen delivers a suspenseful tale rather than a sob story." —* Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In this memoir, the son of an anonymous American GI and a wealthy Vietnamese woman relives ten years of hell in South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon."* Saigon fell to the Viet Cong on April thirty, 1975. Kien Nguyen watched the last U.S. Army helicopter leave without him, without his brother,...

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Ratings and reviews

20 reviews

A Google user

June 15, 2012

The description provided for this title, "The Unwanted: A Memoir," is incorrect. It appears to be for a different title. I just thought I would point this out, so maybe this discrepancy could be corrected. Whom ever may delete this review once they have taken note of the issue I have pointed out.

Elijah Green

May 9, 2014

Just plain scary but a book all should read in a point of their life to learn just how fortunate life is in high economic activity leveled countries

2 people found this review helpful

Lisa Hankins

April 11, 2020

Once you pick it up to read, it pulls you in. It kept me interested until the end. Well written. It was definitely a journey.

1 person found this review helpful

About the author

Kien Nguyen was born in Nhatrang, South Vietnam, in 1967 to a Vietnamese mother and an American father. He left Vietnam in 1985 through the United Nations' Orderly Departure Program. After spending time in a refugee camp in the Philippines, Nguyen arrived in the United States. He is now a dentist in New York City.

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