Butterfly Yellow is the Young Adult debut from the acclaimed author Thanhhà Lại, and the winner of the 2020 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

In the final days of the Việt Nam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms—and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country. Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her. Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap.

The Center for Global Education is honored to present this reading, followed by a discussion with Lại about what inspires her to write and her passion for sharing stories about the people of Việt Nam. 

Speakers

Thanhhà Lại is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Inside Out & Back Again, her debut novel in verse, which won both a National Book Award and a Newbery Honor, the acclaimed Listen, Slowly; and the award-winning Butterfly Yellow, her YA debut. She was born in Việt Nam and now lives in New York with her family. To learn more about Thanhhà and her charity, Viet Kids Inc., visit www.thanhhalai.com.