Trần Thị Minh Phước spent 10 months in a refugee camp in Malaysia before coming to America. In 1984, after a 50-hour Greyhound trip from California, she came to a land called Minnesota, where she believed that she could find the precious treasures in life-education and a safe environment. As the first Vietnamese librarian in Minnesota, award-winning author, and respected storyteller she has shared her experiences and knowledge of Vietnamese culture, the richness and beauty of Vietnamese folktales, and her refugee experiences at various cultural events, storytelling programs, conferences, libraries, universities, and schools throughout the state and beyond