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Review: A Year Without Home

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A Year Without Home
By V.T. Bidania
New York: Penguin Group, 2026. Historical fiction. 432 pgs.

It's 1975 and 11-year-old Gao Sheng is used to finding bright moments of hope and beauty in the midst of the Laotian civil war. Her father is a high ranking Hmong soldier who has been assisting American troops, and so she is always worried about the war. But she loves her home on top of a beautiful mountain surrounded by peach trees and she loves her family. Suddenly, Laos is taken over by communist troops and Gao Sheng's father receives a warning that their family needs to leave right away or risk being captured. Barely missing the last plane out of Laos, Gao Sheng and her extended family begin a dangerous journey to escape Laos in seek of refuge in Thailand.

This first-person novel in verse, based on the true experiences of the author's oldest sister, provides an intimate look at the refugee experience for young readers. Gao Sheng conflicted between her responsibilities as an oldest daughter and her desires to buck against tradition—especially as she observes the preferential treatment her younger brother receives. This historical fiction novel grapples with the everyday and the exemplary challenges of leaving everything behind in the search for survival. Stories about Hmong children are relatively rare, giving this thought provoking read a unique perspective. An extended author's note fleshes out more historical details and discusses how the Bidania family was able to escape before much violence broke out. This novel maintains its hopeful tone, making it a good read for most upper elementary readers.
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