Book and Author Details
Characters
Historical Context
Events
IO & BA Random
100
True or False: Inside Out & Back Again is based on a true story.
True
100
Who is the narrator of this book?
Kim Ha
100
What war serves as the backdrop for this novel?
[What war is this story related to?]
The Vietnam War
100
What happened to Ha's father?
He was captured by the North Vietnamese one year before the story takes place.
100
Where do Ha and her family live at the start of IO & BA?
Saigon, South Vietnam
200
Who is the author of Inside Out & Back Again?
Thanhha Lai
200
Name Ha's three brothers.
Brother Quang
Brother Vu
Brother Khoi
200
What were the two opposite sides during the Vietnam War? Include one country that backed each side.
North Vietnam (backed by China) and South Vietnam (backed by the USA)
200
Why do the South Vietnamese sailors lower the flag of South Vietnam?
Saigon, and all of South Vietnam, has fallen to the Communists (North Vietnamese)
200
What does Brother Khoi sneak on to the ship?
A baby chick
300
Name three real-life film actors from this era who are mentioned in the novel.
Bruce Lee
Clint Eastwood
John Wayne
300
Who tells Ha's mother about the navy ship waiting to take South Vietnamese people out of Saigon?
Uncle Son
300
Who was the leader of South Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon?
President Thieu
300
Where do Ha and her family end up?
Alabama, US
300
Describe the flag of South Vietnam.
Yellow with three horizontal red stripes
400
What advanced degree did the author receive, and from what institution did she receive it?
B.A., Journalism, University of Texas (Austin)
Master of Fine Arts, New York University
400
State two things that we know about Ha's parents.
[Answers will vary.]
They are from North Vietnam.
Mother comes from a wealthy family.
Father served in the Navy of South Vietnam.
400
For how long did the Vietnam War last?
20 years, from 1955 - 1975
The US was involved from 1965 to 1973
400
Where did the South Vietnamese go after being rescued by the US Navy?
Guam
400
What did Ha's father give to her mother as a symbol of their love?
An amethyst ring
500
Name one other book written by Lai.
[Answers will vary.]
Listen, Slowly
Butterfly Yellow
Hundred Years of Happiness
When Clouds Touch Us
500
What does mother claim on their application to increase their chances of sponsorship?
She says that they are a Christian family.
500
What signal alerted Americans in Saigon that it was time to evacuate?
The US Embassy played the Christmas song "White Christmas" on the Armed Forces Radio.
500
Why did the US side with South Vietnam?
The US opposed the economic system of Communism. The North Vietnamese were Communist.
500
Name one award that IO & BA received.
Newberry Honor Award
National Book Award
