This is a heartfelt account of a young Vietnamese woman growing up in the center of the infamous war. At times, it was difficult to relate to the book, because the horrors of her life were sometimes so hellish one could not imagine that they were actually true. Amazing account of the strength of women, and of the native Vietnamese people.

An incredibly inspirational and heartbreaking story how a Vietnamese war victim survived and grew peace in her soul.

This memoir, for a long time, was in my to-read list as a sheer willing to gain a deeper insight into the war my beloved ones had gone through while we young generation had no concept about. Because my language was limited to fully get the writer's flowery words, it took much longer than expected to keep my promise, which is, to finish the book before 30 April, the Reunification Day to most Vietnamese I know, the Black April to some others, and simply no-working day to us millennials. However, following her long journey to peace made me realize the freedom we are really in and how hatred can turn forgiveness or even love.

beautifully written. it's always so hard to read about what happens to women during war and military occupation.

"Just before the French war ended, I discovered who the enemy was. I realized they weren't magical devils after all, but men of another race."

— read for the sixties, vietnam and america (HIS257)

I have mixed feelings about this book. It literally took me years to read---because it didn't grab my attention and beg to be read every day. After visiting Vietnam, I wanted to understand the war from a local's perspective, and I think this book achieves this exactly. The author grows up in a central village that is torn between the Viet Cong and Republican (the side the US was on) forces--and they have to feign allegiance to both of them at different times, in order to survive. I believe it gave a balanced perspective of the differences between the two, each one's strengths and weaknesses, and how unfortunate it was for many of the Vietnamese people to be caught between the two forces. Add in the American soldiers, and the story gets even more tumultuous and harder to stomach. Theft, black markets, rape, sex with a price tag--all part and parcel of being a young woman during the Vietnamese War. In the end, the 20 year old woman ends up marrying an American older than her father, in exchange for coming to the US and having her young family provided for. The story is told from two different time periods--one during the war, and the other when she returns in the late 80's and fears Viet Cong retaliation for a refugee's return to a country that is still in the depths of communism. I preferred the storyline set during the war, and found the latter story to be long-winded and less interesting (until the VERY end, when she is reunited with her family). Overall, I did not like the writing style. It was overly-descriptive and flowing with insignificant details that made it take forever and a day to get through. I have now picked up her second book that talks about her arrival to the US, and already I can tell I will like the writing style better (her co-Author is different). I think there is value to this book, but I give it 3 stars due to how slow of a read it was, and my distaste for the writing style.

An incredibly moving and visceral memoire by Le Ly. She shares her experience with all of the terrors that war brings: death, torture, rape, trauma & grief, uncertainty, starvation, homelessness. She is incredibly candid about all of the wars she faced: North vs. South Vietnam, Vietnam vs. America, divides in her family, and uncertainty with her identity. Coming from a Vietnamese family, I've heard many child-censored versions of the events that are described in this book. They are in such explicit detail it was hard to finish reading at times, while imagining my own parents in similar situations. It is so much more powerful to read about war from the lens of a civilian, for she was only a small peasant girl in a rural village when her life was forever changed. It is very impressive to see what Le Ly was able to do with her life's work with charitable organizations after escaping to America. Taking off one star because I'm not a fan of time skips in writing, it was disorientating jumping time periods several times in every chapter.

I read this book in fall 2011 after my visit to Vietnam.
Le Ly was 12 years old when the war came to her village in Vietnam. The VietCong and the Americans fought in her village. The effect on the family was devastating.
Before the age of 16, La Ly has almost starved, been raped, tortured, and imprisoned. She went to Saigon to work in bars.
Le Ly eventully married an American and moved to southern California. Twenty years later, she returns to Vietnam to visit her fractured family.
Excellent book on the effects of war.

Le Ly Hayslip has the soul of a poet - her narration of growing up in war-torn Vietnam intermingles with her reunion with her country and family when she returned in the '80s. The writing is poignant and beautiful even as the story is sad, heartbreaking, and even a bit funny at times. Gifted with a wonderful family, Le Ly generously shares what she has learned about life: about love, hate, war, and - most of all - forgiveness.

Although this book was very short, it was still powerful. I do not share the same worldview as the author and I want to rage at the people she has forgiven. But I appreciate her authenticity and desire to share her story to creat positive change.

I loved this book, read it when I was 19-years-old by recommendation and, as a Vietnamese American born in Vietnam during the war, was deeply affected by it. I would love to obtain another copy and read it again, and I don't often re-read books. Moreover, I am curious if I will be as deeply affected by it now, some 15 years later. The movie doesn't do this book justice, too many horrifying events left out. You really have to read the book to know the hell this woman went through.

This book is two stories, an earlier story of the author's youth in Vietnam in the 1960s during the war, and her return to her native country on a visit in the 1980s. The first story is a powerful one about the gradual breaking up of the author's family and the struggle of the individual members to survive. The peasants are treated like traitors by both the armies of the North and South and suffer harassment, theft, imprisonment, rape, and torture. Villagers turn against each other in an atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia. Normal life falls apart completely for everyone in the country.

The second narrative about the author's return, which is intercut with the earlier story, is trivial in comparison and kills the drama and momentum of the earlier one. Unfortunately, the 1980s part also takes up about half the book. But despite this problem, the story is a still a very powerful one and is highly recommended.

If compassion has a soul of its own, its from the pages of this book, with a life all its own and breathes a new tempo for the the reader. I'm not sure about others, but I feel exhausted from this tale of survival, forgiveness of self and others, and coming full circle on one life path, then beginning another. My brow feels heavy, my jaw tight from checked emotion, and that familiar weight of soul deep empathy for another human being has nestled in my chest. The signs of a good book? Definitely.

For those seeking perspective on one of America's most controversial wars, this autobiography of Le Ly Hayslip is highly recommended. It flows well, flipping between the year 1986, the year of her return to her native country and the years of her childhood to when she fled Vietnam. The people, relatives, and ancestors in this telling come alive, sit with the reader, and speak with a voice all their own. I turned the last page, not wanting them to go.

A non-fiction must read for history buffs and autobiography fans.

I have a real knowledge gap when it comes to the Vietnam War, but When Heaven and Earth Changed Places has narrowed that gap slightly. It is so important to hear and experience both sides of a conflict. Granted Le Ly's story is only one person's experience, it was still very enlightening about how the Vietnamese felt about the Vietnam War.
Le Ly's story read like fiction. She is a great storyteller!