My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser

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Synopsis
Told in dual POV, this gripping companion piece to My Father, the Panda Killer, follows a teenage son who defies his sister's wishes by searching for more information about their absent mother. Meanwhile, his mother's poignant backstory reveals her struggle with grief and longing, culminating in her heart-wrenching decision to leave her children.&“A cleverly narrated and perfectlypaced powerful dive into healinggenerational trauma.&” —Angeline Boulley, author of Firekeeper&’s DaughterSan Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now&’s he&’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn&’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he&’s never met before now keep telling him that he&’ll get answers only if he&’s willing to open his ears. Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks apart: her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.
Copyright:
2025

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
384 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780593643020
Related ISBNs:
9780593643006, 9780593643013, 9798217158126, 9798217158508
Publisher:
Random House Children's Books
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jamie Jo Hoang
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Military, Teens, Literature and Fiction, Parenting and Family
Reading Age:
12 and up
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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