What Endures

About the Book

Unlike most childhoods, mine was far from being a happy one. My siblings and I, as well as the generation before us, were born at a time when warplanes, gunfire, foreign men in uniform, constant evacuations, and locals hiding under bunkers or war tunnels were commonplace. Now whenever I see playgrounds that are lush with trees and green grasses and filled with children on swings who are laughing while being pushed by their parents, I cannot help but feel a tinge of envy. They are so young, yet already they are having the time of their lives. As a child, I never imagined such scenarios to be remotely possible. Even the idea of playing and having fun were strange to me. I was filled with questions, many of which were answered much, much later.

About the Author

John Vo came to America in 1987 as a refugee from war-ravaged Vietnam. Despite the torment of being ostracized in his own country because he was a child of the enemy, Vo or Anh Tung (the author’s Vietnamese name) was filled with unwavering hope and determination to live a purposeful life in the land of freedom. His life’s greatest triumph was bringing together his family after decades of being apart.