The stories in this collection are a fusion of a myriad of immigrant Vietnamese voices from Louisiana. These stories deeply focus on the inherent cultural distinctions between USA and Vietnam and tell the tales of marginalized voices of a culture that is very distinct from America and contrast that culture with that of America, delineating the difficulties of Vietnamese in settling in America.
Open arms is one of the most intense stories in the collection. Set during the Vietnam War, it is narrated by a translator who tells the story of Thap, a north Vietnamese who has joined Australian forces as a spy after his family was wiped out by the Australians. Thap is disgusted by many of the things that he sees in the camp, and he later murders an Australian soldier and then goes ahead and kills himself, bringing an end to the agony caused by the massacre of his family.
The Trip Back narrates the story of Kanh, who goes to pick up his wife’s grandfather but discovers that his cousin has already accompanied him. He is shocked by this. As he is returning, he realizes that the grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease and this revelation further antagonizes him. It also turns out that her grandfather cannot remember her, further aggravating the situation.
Crickets centers on a man called Thieu who wishes to teach his son how crickets fight. Thieu and his wife had ended up in Louisiana after escaping from Vietnam soon realizing that it was a struggle for them to adapt to a completely different culture. However, since their son wasn’t aware of the Vietnamese cultural ethos, he was able to adapt with ease. But they are finally able to translate different facets of their culture to his comprehension and are able to infuse him with a Vietnamese identity, This story narrates the isolation of a generation that is caught in a cultural limbo due to their immigrant status.
