WHEN HEAVEN FELL
by Carolyn Marsden
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763631752
ISBN-13: 9780763631758
Ages 8-12
192 pages

Nine-year-old Binh lives in a small village in Vietnam with her mother, father, grandmother and older brother. They don't own many material things; they sleep on floor mats in their one-room hut, wash their clothes and dishes in the nearby river, and stretch every dong (Vietnamese money) just to buy enough rice, fish and vegetables to feed the family.

To help earn a little more, Binh sits on the roadside everyday selling sodas and fruit to passersby. She is glad to help but longs to attend school, so that she can learn about faraway places like America and hear stories about the war. While school itself is free in Communist Vietnam, the uniforms and books cost more than what her father can afford. So school, like other luxuries, can only exist as a dream. But what Binh's family lacks in possessions, they more than make up for in love, heritage and tradition.

Since family is so very important, her grandmother's announcement comes as a great surprise. During the war, her grandmother had fallen in love with an American, but they became separated in the confusion and lost touch. In their short time together, they had a daughter named Di Hai. After the war, the government began killing many of the children with mixed heritage. To save her daughter's life, Binh's grandmother sent the five-year-old to an adoption organization in America. Thirty years later, Di Hai has tracked down her birth mother and is coming to Vietnam for a visit.

Binh cannot contain her excitement. Everyone knows that all Americans are very rich; Binh learns that from the films she watches at the video café in town. Binh's aunt is sure to bring expensive gifts for everyone --- and perhaps will take them all back to America. But when Binh learns that Di Hai is a teacher, she is ashamed of her own lack of education and vows that her aunt will not discover her secret.

Almost immediately, the family is disappointed with Di Hai's lack of extravagant gifts brought from America. And though she does speak Vietnamese, it is more like how a young child would talk than an adult. Each side of the family suffers through the confusing culture clash, not knowing exactly how to act or what to expect. Maybe with time, they will grow closer and more comfortable with one another.

Then, Di Hai and Binh take a bus trip together to visit the ocean and go shopping. Just when the opportunity arrives to get some amazing presents, Binh doesn't feel right accepting the fancy dress. Where would she wear it? And besides, the money would help a lot more going to her family to buy food. In the end, Di Hai finds the perfect gift for Binh, one that is absolutely priceless.

Carolyn Marsden has created another lovely story for young people that will expand their imaginations, broaden their horizons and entertain them for hours. She weaves a wonderful story about a girl's life in Vietnam and what happens when an American outsider comes to visit. Her vivid descriptions and vast knowledge pull the reader into the book and straight onto the streets in Binh's village.

   --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

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