Mai’s father, Loc Le, and her mother, Kim Le, colonial town, and its beach was dotted with resorts. lived in a big house in Da Nang, the 昀椀fth-largest As enemy troops began taking the northern parts town in South Vietnam on the coast of the East of Saigon, Loc moved his family of about 30 people Sea of Vietnam. Da Nang was in the northern part to the boat. They had to leave their homes and of South Vietnam, 600 miles from the capital of businesses behind, but stocked the boat with food Saigon. Da Nang was one of the country’s most and water. Many brought gold and diamonds with important port cities. It was the commercial and them to 昀椀nance a new beginning in a new world. education center of South Vietnam, and it was For a week, Mai and her immediate family and where Loc, one of eight children, became a rich uncles, aunts, and cousins, lived aboard the 昀椀shing and powerful businessman. His parents owned a boat. One day, because some were getting seasick, large food company in Da Nang and helped him they decided to leave the boat to have a good meal become established in the canning business to and shower at a nearby resort hotel. However, they supply C-ration products to the U.S. military. Loc had scarcely arrived on the beach when North also owned a trucking 昀椀rm and was a real estate Vietnamese artillery shells began bursting all around Mai Khanh married Quan broker and general contractor. At the height of the them. They were being shot at as Loc yelled, “Turn Vuong in 1998. He is a Vietnam War, he was Chief of Customs in Da Nang, back, go back, now!” The family quickly returned to mechanical engineer. a highly respected leadership position. the boat and the children were sent to the hold. When American troops left South Vietnam, Even in the safety of the inner part of the things began changing for the worse. Loc and his ship, Mai remembered the sounds of explosions wife, Kim, traveled extensively for their businesses as other boats were destroyed and the screams and saw signs that the Communists were of people being thrown into the water. She later preparing to invade their country. A few weeks learned from her mother that their 昀椀shing boat before North Vietnamese troops overtook Da was one of the lucky ones and many lives were Nang, Loc and Kim were in Saigon and sent for Mai lost that day, victims of the savagery of North and her brother and two sisters. Yen was 16 and Vietnamese soldiers. It was heartbreaking when cared for Trang, age 14, Quan, age 11, and Mai, who other Vietnamese citizens tried to board their Loc and Kim Le on one of was in the fourth grade and spoke 昀氀uent French in boat. For the survival of his own family, Loc had their many trips to Vietnam to addition to her native Vietnamese. Before South to say no. It was April 30, 1975. The Fall of Saigon build churches and schools Vietnam became a sovereign nation, it was a was complete. It was the last major event of the and provide money to fund French colony, French Indochina, and the in昀氀uence Vietnam War. programs for the poor. of the French colonization was part of the culture. Mai and her siblings were glad to leave Da Nang. For more than a week, they heard bombs exploding in other parts of the city. At school, when a bomb exploded, Mai and other students hid under their desks. Mai and the children did not know what was happening because there was no television, and they had no access to newspapers. However, Loc learned that Da Nang could not repel North Vietnamese advances and arranged for his children to 昀氀y to Saigon to live in their grandmother’s simple home. Kim’s father had died and her brother, a surgeon, supported their mother. Loc hoped that the Communists would be satis昀椀ed in taking Da Nang, Hue, and dozens of South Vietnamese cities and stop short of capturing Saigon. His hopes were dashed when Communist troops moved farther south and overran more southern cities. Large numbers of residents commandeered every possible boat to try to escape by sea. Six weeks after Da Nang fell, Loc wanted to be ready and purchased a 昀椀shing boat and anchored it off the beach at Vung Tau. It had been a French 37