Overview

The Nobility of Our Hearts: From Bến Súc to Sài Gòn to Austin, spans the remarkable events of 20th century Vietnam: from French rule to the Great Depression, from the Second World War to the Vietnamese civil war that involved the United States. At the center of this global history stands one Vietnamese woman, Cẩm Hồng. Whether she is embarking alone at the age of fourteen on an ocean liner to Bordeaux to pursue her education, experiencing the bombing of Sài Gòn that forces her family to hide in the jungle while she endures the death of her daughter, witnessing the enlistment of three of her sons in the Vietnamese Armed Force, or finally escaping from Vietnam as a refugee to ultimately settle in Austin, Texas, Cẩm Hồng is a steadfast testament to perseverance and the Confucian values that sustained her. This is the real story of South Vietnam, not simply the horrific experience of one particular decade. It provides an expanded perspective of the full history of Vietnam while engaging the reader through intimate details and novelistic techniques to create a beguiling and dramatic work of non-fiction.

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9781732422421

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Reviews

The Nobility of Our Hearts: From Ben Suc to Sai Gon to Austin is compelling and important as it chronicles the story of Cam Hong who quickly discovers that her future holds more than what tradition dictates in early twentieth century Vietnam. A fascinating love story that proves resilient through defining historic events that take place in three continents - Asia, Europe, and North America. This book tells a life story that spans for nearly a century, teaches us about unconditional love and the virtues of practicing nobility and kindness. It is a legacy that is created by a mother, continued by her nine children and will be carried on for generations to come. The Nobility of Our Hearts is sure to inspire you as it allows you to recount the hardships endured by Vietnamese Americans during the largest refugee resettlement efforts in America history after the fall of Saigon in 1975. --Hubert Vo, Texas State Representative This family story provides structure for a fascinating history of 20th century Vietnam. The authors are two of the nine children of Cam-Hong and Ky-Tran, Vietnamese who moved several times from their small village to Saigon and back, and finally all the way to Texas to escape the communists. --Bertie Wood, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Cal State University We seldom know what the average person struggles with in foreign lands. As I read The Nobility of Our Hearts, I realized that this could be my family, At the same time, I questioned the benefits of living in the United States. With all of our blessings, there are many attributes we can learn from the Hovanky family and the cultural traditions of Vietnam. Their devotion to family, biological and extended, their value of education, their willingness to contribute toward society and employment --these are just a few traits that manifested their participation in their personal growth and their persistence to succeed. --Jackie LaBouff, M.A., Dominguez Hills, School Psychologist I would highly recommend The Nobility of Our Hearts as someone in the U.S. who was drafted during the Vietnam War. I found the book informative about what was going on in Vietnam from the standpoint of the people living there - undergoing their tremendous trials and upheavals. I have a newfound respect for my South Vietnamese friends and a greater appreciation for having grown up and lived in the United States. --Gary W. Bryan, M.D. For a memoir like this to work, it has to have three things: a gripping storyline, lush description, and the moral character of a hero (in this case a hero and a heroine) whom we aspire to emulate. The Nobility of Our Hearts has all three, in addition to a scope of significance that educates the reader while inspiring us to ask some difficult questions of history, and of ourselves. --Stuart Horwitz, Author of The Book Architecture Trilogy

The Nobility of Our Hearts: From Ben S c to S i G n to Austin is compelling and important as it chronicles the story of Cam Hong who quickly discovers that her future holds more than what tradition dictates in early twentieth century Vietnam. A fascinating love story that proves resilient through defining historic events that take place in three continents - Asia, Europe, and North America. This book tells a life story that spans for nearly a century, teaches us about unconditional love and the virtues of practicing nobility and kindness. It is a legacy that is created by a mother, continued by her nine children and will be carried on for generations to come. The Nobility of Our Hearts is sure to inspire you as it allows you to recount the hardships endured by Vietnamese Americans during the largest refugee resettlement efforts in America history after the fall of Saigon in 1975. --Hubert Vo, Texas State Representative This family story provides structure for a fascinating history of 20th century Vietnam. The authors are two of the nine children of Cam-Hong and Ky-Tran, Vietnamese who moved several times from their small village to Saigon and back, and finally all the way to Texas to escape the communists. --Bertie Wood, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Cal State University We seldom know what the average person struggles with in foreign lands. As I read The Nobility of Our Hearts, I realized that this could be my family, At the same time, I questioned the benefits of living in the United States. With all of our blessings, there are many attributes we can learn from the Hovanky family and the cultural traditions of Vietnam. Their devotion to family, biological and extended, their value of education, their willingness to contribute toward society and employment --these are just a few traits that manifested their participation in their personal growth and their persistence to succeed. --Jackie LaBouff, M.A., Dominguez Hills, School Psychologist I would highly recommend The Nobility of Our Hearts as someone in the U.S. who was drafted during the Vietnam War. I found the book informative about what was going on in Vietnam from the standpoint of the people living there - undergoing their tremendous trials and upheavals. I have a newfound respect for my South Vietnamese friends and a greater appreciation for having grown up and lived in the United States. --Gary W. Bryan, M.D. For a memoir like this to work, it has to have three things: a gripping storyline, lush description, and the moral character of a hero (in this case a hero and a heroine) whom we aspire to emulate. The Nobility of Our Hearts has all three, in addition to a scope of significance that educates the reader while inspiring us to ask some difficult questions of history, and of ourselves. --Stuart Horwitz, Author of The Book Architecture Trilogy

"The Nobility of Our Hearts: From Bến S�c to S�i G�n to Austin is compelling and important as it chronicles the story of Cam Hong who quickly discovers that her future holds more than what tradition dictates in early twentieth century Vietnam. A fascinating love story that proves resilient through defining historic events that take place in three continents - Asia, Europe, and North America. This book tells a life story that spans for nearly a century, teaches us about unconditional love and the virtues of practicing nobility and kindness. It is a legacy that is created by a mother, continued by her nine children and will be carried on for generations to come. The Nobility of Our Hearts is sure to inspire you as it allows you to recount the hardships endured by Vietnamese Americans during the largest refugee resettlement efforts in America history after the fall of Saigon in 1975. --Hubert Vo, Texas State Representative ""This family story provides structure for a fascinating history of 20th century Vietnam. The authors are two of the nine children of Cam-Hong and Ky-Tran, Vietnamese who moved several times from their small village to Saigon and back, and finally all the way to Texas to escape the communists."" --Bertie Wood, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Cal State University ""We seldom know what the average person struggles with in foreign lands. As I read The Nobility of Our Hearts, I realized that this could be my family, At the same time, I questioned the benefits of living in the United States. With all of our blessings, there are many attributes we can learn from the Hovanky family and the cultural traditions of Vietnam. Their devotion to family, biological and extended, their value of education, their willingness to contribute toward society and employment --these are just a few traits that manifested their participation in their personal growth and their persistence to succeed."" --Jackie LaBouff, M.A., Dominguez Hills, School Psychologist ""I would highly recommend The Nobility of Our Hearts as someone in the U.S. who was drafted during the Vietnam War. I found the book informative about what was ""going on"" in Vietnam from the standpoint of the people living there - undergoing their tremendous trials and upheavals. I have a newfound respect for my South Vietnamese friends and a greater appreciation for having grown up and lived in the United States."" --Gary W. Bryan, M.D. ""For a memoir like this to work, it has to have three things: a gripping storyline, lush description, and the moral character of a hero (in this case a hero and a heroine) whom we aspire to emulate. The Nobility of Our Hearts has all three, in addition to a scope of significance that educates the reader while inspiring us to ask some difficult questions of history, and of ourselves."" --Stuart Horwitz, Author of The Book Architecture Trilogy"

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