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Listen, Slowly Audiobook
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(3.50) - 2 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This remarkable and bestselling novel from Thanhha Lai, author of the National Book Award–winning and Newbery Honor Book Inside Out & Back Again, follows a young girl as she learns the true meaning of family.
Listen, Slowly is a New York Times Book Review Notable Book and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year!
A California girl born and raised, Mai can’t wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War.
Mai’s parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn’t know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.
Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Linda Sue Park, Listen, Slowly is an irresistibly charming and emotionally poignant tale about a girl who discovers that home and culture, family and friends, can all mean different things.
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"Part of the story deals with the Vietnamese language, and Ms. Lam does a beautiful job with that in particular. I always recommend that readers listen to the audio version of this excellent book.The protagonist's viewpoint feels real and engaging. The secondary characters are all well portrayed. The relationship between Mai and her grandmother deepens and tugs at the heartstrings.T"
— Ruth (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Heart-stopping passages further shift Mai’s position from outsider to insider, to, finally, truly bicultural, just as Listen, Slowly invites readers to see Vietnam from the inside out.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“This valentine of a novel may jumpstart questions in young readers about the people and places of their families’ past.”
— Washington Post -
“As she did in her National Book Award-winning Inside Out & Back Again, Lai offers a memorable heroine and cultural journey.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Mai’s character growth is slow and believable, coming in small increments and occasionally backsliding. The sights, smells, and tastes of Vietnam’s cities and villages come alive on the page, without overwhelming a story filled with a summers-worth of touching and hilarious moments, grand adventure, and lazy afternoons. With a contemporary time setting, this compelling novel shows the lingering effects of war through generations and how the secrets our parents keep can shape us.”
— School Library Journal (starred review) -
“Lai does a superb job of creating a memorable setting and populating it with fully developed, complex characters…A superb, sometimes humorous, always thought-provoking coming-of-age story.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“The village experience and Mia and her grandmother’s travels in the city offer Lai a way to introduce readers to various aspects of Vietnamese culture with both wry wit and genuine enthusiasm.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books -
“Newbery Honor author Lại delivers a funny, realistic tale of family and friendship and culture clashes. A touching tale of preteen angst and translation troubles.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“A look at culture and family is expertly narrated by Lulu Lam…Lam convincingly portrays Mai’s selfishness and spoiled personality and slowly changes the tone of her narration as Mai changes throughout the novel. The audio suggests the Vietnamese language with accents and nuances in pronunciation, making for a rich experience for the listener.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A New York Times Editor’s Choice
Listen, Slowly Listener Reviews
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4/29/2021
About Thanhhà Lại
Thanhhà L?i was born in Vietnam and moved to Alabama in 1975. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Texas and worked as a journalist at the Orange County Register for two years before deciding to switch to fiction writing. She lives in New York City with her family and teaches writing at Parsons The New School of Design.
About LuLu Lam
LuLu Lam is a professional imaginaire, hoop dancer, yogini, and audiobook narrator. She has acted in national commercials and television shows such as The Mindy Project on Fox and ABC’s All My Children.