A Long Way from Home

by Maureen Crane Wartski

Book Overview

A 15-year-old Vietnamese refugee having difficulty adjusting to the strange ways and language of the United States and his adoptive home runs away to a Vietnamese fishing community hoping he can... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664326749
• ISBN13: 9780664326746
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 155 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Age Range: 11 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 6 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Long Way From Home- A great book

A Long Way from HomeBy: Maureen Crane Wartski A Long Way from Home is a great book. This book is about a kid named Kien who just came from Vietnam. Kien is going to be adopted by the Olsons, a kind family who already has a child. When Kien first comes to the United States he feels sick and out of place. He doesn't like the food and the school in the United States. The Vietnam War had ended that's why several Vietnamese people came to the United States. Several Americans lost there jobs because the Vietnamese sold their items for a cheaper price. Soon everyone treats Kien wrongly. Then Kien runs away from home and figures out that not all people are like that. This is a very good book by the author Maureen Crane Wartski who came from Vietnam herself and wrote books from her experience. The part I liked best about this book was when Kien runs away from home and tries to find a place to live. I like this book because it is funny and very exciting. The other part I liked the best was when Kien used his street instinct to run away from the kids who were trying to hurt him. I also like this book because it is a biography and in first person. When I read biographies I feel like I'm the person in the book which makes me feel excited and adventurous. The character I liked the most was Kien because he was brave when kids threatened him and he had courage to stand up for himself. This is a very good book for children of all ages. I haven't read any books by this author, but I would recommend it. -Sareen

A quality book that should be read

The book A Long Way From Home was a great book. Some of the reasons I enjoyed the book is because it described a lot about racism. Another reason I enjoyed the book was because it taught a lot about racism and how you shouldn't judge people by their skin color or race.There were some parts of the book I didn't care for. Some of the plot lines were a little shaky. It also had a disappointing ending.All in all, I thought the book was OK but it could have used some work.

Homework assignment

This book is about how a group of Vietnamese go to America. When they arrive in America, they, at first, are not liked by the Americans. In the end, however, they work things out and live in peace. This is a great multi-cultural book and I highly recommend it to all people.

worth reading

I read this book about eight years ago, but I can still remember the gist of it. It's pretty simple reading, has a good plot, and a nice ending. It describes some of the struggles that an immigrant child faces when he comes to America, filled with hopes (some realistic, some not). I think this book is geared more towards younger readers. Was it the best book I've ever read? Probably not. Was it worth my time reading it? Definitely.