RAIN ON THE RED FLAG HAS MADE TO SEMIFINALS OF THE BOOKLIFE PRIZE!

I am so happy to share that my memoir, Rain On The Red Flag, has made it to the semifinals of the BookLife Prize!

They will announce the finalists in each category on April 13, so wish me luck. But no matter what happens, the fact that my book was selected as a semifinalist is an honor and I am so grateful.

Here is my book Critic's Report on display with the other semifinalists on the BookLife Prize page:

• Tchaikovsky. A White Butterfly. The Memory of Love. For seventeen-year-old city boy Frank Thanh Nguyen, the official end of the war in Vietnam marked the end of his freedom and the beginning of a harrowing adventure. Rain on the Red Flag details Thanh's remarkable journey, which begins on the day the Communists planted their flag in homes along his street in Saigon. Thanh's only chance of survival was to escape. During several escape attempts Thanh discovered parts of his country and its people that weren't known to him before. Later, Thanh was captured by the undercover police. For four years, he was held in jails and labor camps, chained, and starved. Only his love for freedom, music, the memory of his girl, his family, and friendship with the other prisoners keeps him sane. When Thanh was finally set free and returned to Saigon, he helped to build a boat. He finds himself captaining the boat to navigate himself and seventy-five other refugees through tumultuous seas to seek freedom again.

  BookLife Prize - 2022

  Semi Finalist

  Plot/Idea: 10 out of 10

  Originality: 10 out of 10

  Prose: 9 out of 10

  Character/Execution: 10 out of 10

  Overall: 9.75 out of 10

  Assessment:
  

  Plot/Idea: Nguyen's book is a thoroughly engaging story that draws readers in with tragedy, perseverance, and, ultimately, a type of reunification. The framing--starting the story with a heartbreaking plot point--sets the stage for an emotional and harrowing story that keeps readers riveted throughout.

  Prose: Nguyen's prose is affecting and expertly crafted, especially the segues at the end of each chapter, which inspire the reader to keep reading. While visceral emotions and the situations that cause them propel the narrative, the description of the settings are also vivid, if spare.

  Originality: This memoir is a searing story of family, war, love, loss, and reconnection. Nguyen honors his family with his powerful words.

  Blurb: Nguyen's memoir shares the story of his childhood in Saigon and the tragedies that befell him and his family after Communist forces came to power. This searing memoir shares the experiences of Nguyen and his family in emotional, vivid detail. This book is a powerful addition to the memoir genre.

  Date Submitted: January 11, 2023

  
  

  Booklife

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  Semi Finalist