Part 1 Saigon
The city and country where Ha’s family lives at the start of the book.
Saigon, Vietnam
The type of vessel the family uses to escape Vietnam.
A Navy ship
The nickname Ha gives to the neighbor who helps them and is "not a horse."
Mrs. Washington
This fruit represents Ha’s hope and home in Vietnam.
The Papaya Tree
The number of brothers Ha has.
Three
Ha’s mother works here to support the family after Father is gone.
The Navy (as a secretary)
This person makes the difficult decision to leave Vietnam and head for the sea.
Mother
The "Cowboy" takes the family to this US state to live.
Alabama
Ha chooses to bring this item with her, though it eventually smells like mold.
Her doll (with the mouse bitten cheek)
This family member has been missing since Ha was a baby.
The father
This major holiday marks the beginning of the story and the "changing of fates."
Tet
"He says there's enough/rice and water/for three weeks/but the rescue should happen/much earlier."
Rations
The name Ha’s classmates call her because they cannot pronounce her name.
"Hee-ya" or "Pancake"
A heartbreaking symbol of vulnerability and the cost of war.
The baby chick
This brother is a gifted cook and the most protective of Ha.
Khoi
The reason the family is forced to flee their home.
The Fall of Saigon/The North Vietnamese Army arriving
What the family must do with their most precious belongings before leaving.
Burn them/Leave them behind
The subject Ha finds much easier than her American classmates, despite the language barrier.
Math
It is severed from its source of life that parallels Ha's severance from her homeland.
The cutting of the papaya tree
This brother is obsessed with Bruce Lee and wants to learn English quickly.
Vu
The name of the leader whose portrait is being replaced as the war nears.
Ho Chi Minh
The specific item Mother gives up/loses that symbolizes her love for her husband.
The Amethyst Ring
"To make it worse/the cowboys explains/horses here go/neigh, neigh, neigh,/not hee, hee, hee."
What is disconnect is this poem indicating?
A language barrier
The emotional state of the family.
Mother's Eyes
This brother wants to study engineering and is the first to learn English well.
Quang