Charlene Lin Ung

Nam Moi Charlene Lin Ung

Saigon, November, 1978. Under the cover of darkness a desperate family leaves home and friends, hoping to escape the harsh regime of Communist Vietnam. Their goal is to reunite with the four oldest children sent ahead to the United States, but first they must evade ruthless communist patrols. Eleven-year-old Nam Moi is confused, afraid and now homeless. Her future seems bleak and devoid of hope. The risks are great, but it was not the first time her family had taken risks. Long ago, her Ung ancestors had migrated from China to northern Vietnam. When the country was partitioned in 1954, they moved again to South Vietnam. Nam Moi, or "little girl from the South," was born in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Her family survived the fighting, but living under Communist rule was very hard. After years of planning and debating, Nam Moi's father made the bold decision to escape, in hope of finding a better life for his children somewhere else. Nam Moi had been taught that sometimes gambles must be taken for a better life. But would this huge gamble bring freedom or cost them all their lives? Nam Moi: A Young Girl's Story of Her Family's Escape from Vietnam is a true story of triumph over repression, danger and hardship. Escaping from Vietnam meant traveling on a rusty cargo ship in the South China Sea for months, barely hanging onto life. Nam Moi's father paid precious gold for the chance to escape the country, but the price the family paid to survive was much higher than gold. They had to start their lives all over again.