About the Book
Hà’s life in Saigon isn’t perfect: Her father’s missing and war makes things more
expensive each day, plus she’s the youngest child (and a girl!) in a family of boys. But
she loves Vietnam, with its tastes and smells, and loves the promise of growing things
like her papaya tree. When her family joins the refugees to travel to America, Hà has
to pretend to like other people’s food, learn English with its inexplicable plurals, and
ght o other kids on the playground. Inside Out & Back Again is the poignant story
of her year full of changes, hardships, and small victories.
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Inside Out
& Back Again
b y t h a n h h a l a i
Questions for Discussion
1. Hà’s story is told in a series of poems. What do you think
about that? Find examples of dierent types of poems: For
instance, nd one that tells a story and another that paints a
picture. Some of the poems have a specic date at the end, but
others say “every day.” Why do you think that is?
2. What did you know about Vietnamese culture before
reading the story? What are some of the things you learned as
you read?
3. Sometimes Hà is angry about being a girl. Why does she make
sure to tap her big toe on the oor before her brothers wake up
on the morning of the new year? When she thinks about that
moment a year later, what does she say?
4. Why does Mother lock away the portrait of Father aer
chanting in the morning (p. 13)? What do you think you
would do if you were Hà or one of her brothers and someone
close to you passed away? What would you say to Mother?
5. What does Hà mean when she talks about “how the poor
ll their children’s bellies” (p. 37)? What is Mother trying
to do when she talks about how lovely yam and manioc
taste with rice? Why do you think Mother nally decides to
leave Saigon?
6. Why does Hà love papaya so much? What might the fruit
represent for her? How is that the same as or dierent from
what the chick means for Brother Khôi?
7. On the ship, Hà touches the sailor’s hairy arm and
Mother slaps her hand away (p. 95). Why does Hà take a
hair? How is her behavior on the ship similar to or dierent
from that of the kids at school in Alabama when they notice
Hà’s features?
8. Hà describes her American town as “clean, quiet loneliness”
(p. 122). How is life in Alabama dierent from Saigon?
Describe each setting and the dierences between the two.
Are there any similarities?
9. What do you know about the cowboy who sponsors the
family? Who do you think he is, and what are some reasons
why you think he might have become a sponsor? What about
Mrs. Washington: Why might she have volunteered to be a
teacher for Hà?
10. Hà says that the cowboy’s wife insists they “keep out of her
neighbors’ eyes” (p. 116). Why would she do that? Why
would neighbors slam their doors when Hà’s family comes
to say hello (p. 164)?
11. Why would sponsors prefer applications that say “Christians”
(p. 108)? Do you agree with Hà’s mother that “all beliefs are
pretty much the same” (p. 108)? Do you think she did the
right thing by saying that the family is Christian?
Discussion Guide
Questions for Discussion continued on the next page . . .
12. Why is it so important to Hà’s mother that her children
learn English? If your family moved to a foreign country
right now, would you be eager to learn the language?
Why, or why not?
13. Hà struggles to learn English and hates feeling stupid. She
asks, “Who will believe I was reading Nht Linh?” and then,
“Who here knows who he is?” (p. 130). What do you think
is behind her frustration? What does she want people to
understand about her and her family?
14. Brother Quang says that Americans’ generosity is “to ease the
guilt of losing the war” (p. 124). What is he talking about?
Why doesn’t he take their generosity at face value?
15. What does Mother mean when she tells Hà to “learn to
compromise” (p. 233)? Is she talking about dried papaya
or something else? Give an example of a compromise that
Mother has made.
Extension Activities
1. Happy New Year! Have your students look up Tt. When
is it celebrated? What are some traditional activities that are
part of the celebration? Are there Tt celebrations in your
town that they could attend? Ask students to make posters
inviting classmates to a party for Tt, explaining what they
should expect and helping them get excited for the event.
2. Market Day. Hà loves Vietnamese food and describes the
tastes she loves. To name a few, there are crunchy mung bean
cookies, glutinous rice and sh sauce, and, of course, papaya.
Ask students to visit an Asian market nearby and try a new
food. Have them write poems to describe the experience for
their classmates.
3. Papaya Trees and Baby Chicks. Both Hà and Brother
Khôi love to watch things grow, and Hà eagerly anticipates
the day when she’ll be able to eat her papayas. Ask students
and their families to start growing food plants. Have them
keep journals with notes and drawings of their plants as they
grow, and write poems about how it feels to wait patiently be-
fore you can taste your food for the rst time.
4. Two Pictures of Vietnam. Have students look up pictures
of the fall of Saigon or the “burned, naked girl” crying and
running down a dirt road (p. 194). en ask them to nd pic-
tures of papayas and Tt. Have them ask friends and family
which set of pictures they recognize, and if they remember
when they rst saw them or what they thought. Discuss with
the class: Why would Hà say that Miss Scott should have
shown pictures of papayas instead of the pictures of war?
How are the war pictures dierent from the pictures in Mrs.
Washington’s book (p. 201)?
5. Telling Stories. In the Author’s Note, anhha Lai says
she hopes that “aer you nish this book that you sit close
to someone you love and implore that person to tell and tell
and tell their story” (p. 262). As a class, generate a list of ques-
tions for students’ families. Have each student choose a family
member and interview him/her about what life was like dur-
ing the Vietnam War or another conict that had an impact
on his/her life. Ask students to share stories with their class-
mates and discuss the similarities and dierences of what they
learned from their family members.
About the Author
anhha Lai was born in Vietnam. At the end of the war, she ed with her family to Alabama. ere, she
learned English from fourth graders. She then spent the next decade correcting her grammar. She started
her writing life as a journalist, then switched to ction, getting her MFA from New York University. She has
published short stories in numerous journals and anthologies, and this is her rst novel. Lai lives with her
family in Kansas and teaches writing at e New School.
Photo by Sloane Bosniak
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Also available as an ebook.
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uestions and activities prepared by Kate Coxon, Academic Dean of Rocketship Si Se Puede Academy, Palo Alto, California.
Inside Out & Back Again Discussion Guide
GUIDED
READING
LEVEL
W
