Book Information

Book ID Asin: B07FXZRNL8
Book Title: TigerFish: A Memoir of a South Vietnamese Colonel's Daughter and Her Coming of Age in America
Book Author: Hoang Chi Truong,Hoang Chi T Smith
Book Format and Price:
Book Format Name: Kindle
Book Format Price: $9.99
Book Format Name: Audiobook
Book Format Price: $0.00
Book Format Name: Paperback
Book Format Price: $14.99
Book Price: $0.00
Book Category: Books, Politics & Social Sciences, Social Sciences and Ethnic Studies
Book Rating: 94 ratings

Book Product Detail

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Book Review

Name: Phyllis Banks
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Your heart will race with every word...a love story and struggle has been told....
Date: Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2017
Review: TigerFish is a memoir written by Hoang Chi Troung Smith. This book is a detailed and heartfelt love letter to her children Jeremy and Natasha. As a Vietnamese refugee in the mid 1970’s, Chi chronicles her strict but, but delightful childhood experiences. Her life is recalled through the raw terror from fleeing her homeland to the trauma of being repatriated in the United States.
Not only does this book feature her life, but it captures the sights, smells, fears and cries of innocence robbed. Chi shares historical and cultural details to the reader, to the point where they are able to travel back in time with her. Tiger Fish gives shocking, yet poignant details of how each family member survived the horrors of war. She was able to illustrate sympathy, empathy fear and love - - not just for her family, but for everyone she met along the way.
TigerFish invited me to question my own beliefs about war, history, religion, culture clashes and loyalty. Chi’s experiences allowed her the ability to save a place in her heart for her one true love, Chris. From this love, Jeremy and Natasha are able to really understand and know her. The book allows them to understand Tiger Fish. Tiger Fish is the genesis of their identity. It teaches them how to navigate the ebb and flows of the life. Tiger Fish gives birth to a generational foothold into a legacy that will continue to blossom with time. Sacrifice, respect, commitment, unconditional love and honesty are woven throughout this book. Chi leaves no stone unturned as she pours out her heart and soul to connect her words to the reader.
Everyone can benefit from reading this book. You cannot remain unchanged as you partake in her journey. Many of us refuse to leave the past. Tiger Fish shares the past, and reveals the present. It allows us to use tragedies as springboards to the future. The book allows us to discover our own ‘Tigerfish’. This book has encouraged me to feel pain, move on, never forget and to continue to love.

Name: Jennifer Schottke
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Must Read!!
Date: Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2017
Review: This is a great read and a powerful story about strength, perserverance and the transformative power of love in the midst of crisis. It is a story told with a deep reverance for the confusing and transformative yin/yang each of us navigates as we seek to live fully.

The drama alone makes this story worth the read. A gripping account of the disruption of war, of lives turned upside down, and of a family losing everything in an instant. It is a spellbinding tale of close calls, loss, loyalty and courage. But what makes this so much more than just good drama, is Hoang Chi's intimate account of what happens inside a life when the world is rocked. From the escape out of Vietnam to the rediscovery of a new life in the US -- this story holds the secret thread of survival throughout. In gripping detail and poignant reality, TigerFish brings to life the realities - and impact - of war - dislocation and rebuilding through the eyes of a child struggling to understand, honor and ultimately overcome the ties of loyalty, tradition and character that saved Hoang Chi and her family -- and ultimately threatened to destroy the vibrant potential for new life ...

This book has changed the way I look at everyone. Each of us carries these threads of lives rebuilt within our very bones. Whether through dramatic refugee experience or a difficult and life changing choice of ethics and values, the telling of this story shines a light on age old truths about the human condition. Truth is that each of us has a story to be heard and heeded. Few of us are as courageous as Chi Hoang in the telling. This book is a must read. Not often do we have a chance to combine a great read with a genuine venture into a deeper understanding of how important for each of us to learn how to respect and honor the power of love in the midst of tragedy and upheaval.

Name: Linda L. Oliphant
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I read TigerFish with tears as I held her story story in my hands.
Date: Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2018
Review: I found Tiger Fish to be a very emotional, thought provoking and disturbing read. I had mixed feelings. This was a very turbulent and angry time. I did not agree nor did I support this so very controversial war in a small country on the other side of the world. It did not make sense to me. However, I did support and had the utmost respect for those who served and fought in this war and those who gave their lives without really knowing the reasons why. The devastation was tremendous for all affected. Having read TigerFish, I have a better understanding of both sides of the bullet. I now have a frame of reference through the eyes of a thirteen year old girl who lost a shoe while running and fleeing for her life admist being fired and bombed upon. War does have a way of distinguishing between what is important and what is not...This same gutsy, yet timid, girl found the strength and perseverance to assimilate into America while still holding on to her own heritage. Hoang Chi Truong has managed to build a literary bridge to heal a nation’s old wounds and those wounded with compassion and understanding.
I read TigerFish with tears as I held her story in my hands.

Name: Catherine
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Memoir of Contrasts
Date: Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2017
Review: While my family did not come to the US as refugees, this book reminded me a lot of our forgotten life and the struggles for a new life in America.
For all of us immigrants, we live in a dichotomy of two cultures, straddling our home country's culture and language while wanting to be part of the new American culture. The book does a fantastic job of walking us through life before and life after and the myriad of contrasts that one faces in a completely new and different world. I related a lot to the way she described being pulled between her Vietnamese roots, wanting to show respect for her parents and family, but also wanting something for herself.

There are a few scenes in the book where Chi describes her family's escape and the fear and uncertainty that abounded. These scenes tugged at me as I couldn't imagine young children going through this. I commend Chi for documenting this journey so that all future generations may understand the struggle and know the story. I didn't know much about the Vietnam War when I read this book and the refuge placement process so that was a new lesson for me.

I do wish there was a bit more about how her new found love ended up. I guess I'll have to catch the next book...

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