Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

 

Bibliography

Lai, T. (2020). Butterfly Yellow. Harper. 

Plot Summary

Our lives can change in an instant, and that’s just what happens to Hằng. In an attempt to follow her dreams and make her father proud, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport to escape Việt Nam, which has been at war. Wanting to find a way to America to take her brother to see wild horses, Hằng devises a plan to pose her brother and herself as orphans so that they may find passage to America. Devastatingly, Linh is taken from her and vanishes to America. Riddled with guilt, Hằng vows to find her little brother again one day.

A long six years pass before Hằng finds herself as a refugee in America. Having survived a harrowing journey from Việt Nam to Texas, she must now find a way to track down her brother. An unlikely character, LeeRoy, who has big dreams of becoming a rodeo cowboy, soon crosses Hằng’s path and becomes a vital key to finding and befriending her long, lost brother.

Despite finding Linh after so many years, Hằng is heartbroken when he has no memory of her, their family, country, or customs. After waiting for so long, Hằng will do whatever it takes to reconnect with her brother, even if it means waiting longer for Linh to get comfortable with the idea. Hằng accidentally let her brother go all those years ago, and she won’t let it happen again, no matter what.

Critical Analysis

Thanhha Lai crafts a beautiful story in her novel Butterfly Yellow. Lai tells the story of a teen girl, Hằng, from Việt Nam who has journeyed to great lengths to find her long-lost brother. Set in the early 1980s, themes such as survival, determination, and love are present in this gripping story. After 6 years of plotting with her mother and grandmother to find her brother, taken from Hằng at the airport while trying to find safe passage to America during the Việt Nam War, her journey finally begins. Surviving horrific events and situations that will haunt her forever, Hằng finally makes it to America. There, the second part of her journey begins and proves to be much harder than she expected. Another character pertinent to the story is revealed, LeeRoy. Lai uses the perspective of both characters to tell the story of Hằng’s perseverance and courage in her quest to find her brother. Readers will hang on to every word and experience the turmoil and elation of one character’s pursuit to find the one she loves.

Review Excerpt(s)

- “In this radiant pearl of a book, Lại shows that we human beings are singing the very same song: a song of grace and redemption, a song of courage, a song of hope.” — New York Times Book Review
- “Every sentence is infused with warmth, and Lại shows readers that countless moments of grace exist even in the darkest times. Masterfully conjures grace, beauty, and humor out of the tragic wake of the Vietnam War.” — Kirkus Reviews
- “Lại’s imagery awakens the senses. Most powerful is the deep throb of regret and the thinnest wisps of hopefulness that Lại conveys throughout. They touch the soul.” — Booklist

Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• TREES AND LEAVES. Consider pages 153, 172, and 173. In these pages we are shown the diagrams Hằng uses to break down her sentences and understand how to correctly place every word. LeeRoy also joins in, often adding to the sentence with his own contributions. With a partner, write a short story consisting of 3 sentences using the same structure the characters use. 

• SNIPPETS OF WISDOM. Choose your favorite philosophical quote from Bà or come up with your own. Find a situation in your daily life that fits the context of the quote, and then come up with a plan to apply it to your life. Share your wise conclusions with a partner. 

• WRITE IT INTO EXISTENCE. We do not know the English names of the fruits Hằng draws for her brother until the end, but we are given vivid descriptions of each one. Without including its name, describe your favorite thing to eat using 5 specific sentences. Share the paragraph with your partner and guess each other’s favorite food. 

**These and other activities can be found at: 

https://cdn.website-editor.net/6556f4a41fb143f1b09366e7a46cb27b/files/uploaded/ButterflyYellow_Teachers%2520Guide.pdf

Other recommended books if you liked this one: 

• Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt

• Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai 

• The Mountains Sing by Que Mai Phan Nguyen