When Heaven Fell (15 page)
Authors: Carolyn Marsden
Anh Hai
— oldest brother
ao dai
— traditional Vietnamese dress consisting of trousers with a long tunic on top
areca palm
— a species of palm tree found in much of Asia; chewing the nut or leaves can stain the teeth and gums red.
Ba
— father
Ba Ngoai
— maternal grandmother (pronounced “BAH ngoy”)
Binh
— (pronounced “bin”)
Chau
— grandchild, a term of endearment
Chi
— sister. A younger sister must address her older sister as Chi, as in Chi Thao.
Chi Hai
— eldest sister
con
— child
con cung
— spoiled little child, a term of endearment
Cuc
— (pronounced “kook”)
Di
— aunt (pronounced “yee”)
Di Hai
— eldest aunt
dong
— unit of Vietnamese money; approximately sixteen thousand
dong
equal one U.S. dollar. Only bills are used.
ganh hang
— a contraption consisting of a bamboo pole carried over the shoulders with a flat, round basket hanging from each end of the pole
Hai
— word used to indicate the eldest of a group
leu
— very small hut or tent
Ma
— mother
mangosteen
— a dark purple fruit, white on the inside
Mung Di Hai va Em tro ve!
— Welcome Home, Auntie and Sister!
my lai
— literally means “American half-bred”; refers to a person of mixed blood
non la
— cone-shaped traditional Vietnamese straw hat
pho bo
— traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup
rambutan
— a bright red fruit, white on the inside
tam cuc
— a card game
Thao
— (pronounced “tao”)
Viet-kieu
— Vietnamese who live abroad
I would like to give credit to the KPBS documentary
Daughter from Danang
for its sensitive portrayal of a situation very like Binh’s. I would also like to acknowledge Brother Phap Khoi of Deer Park Monastery for his monitoring of cultural details; Helen Tonnu for her detailed instructions on the making of the traditional cone-shaped hats; Gretchen Woelfle for her readings of the manuscript in its early form; Janice Yuwiler for her support and collaborative brainstorming; and my editors, Deborah Wayshak and Amy Ehrlich, who guided me, as always, toward the truest form of the story.
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7636-2993-9
Also available in audio
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7636-2635-8
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7636-3422-3
Also available in audio
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7636-3304-2
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7636-2257-2
Also available as an e-book
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7636-3380-6
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7636-4828-2
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7636-3575-6
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7636-3739-2
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7636-4820-6
Also available in audio and as an e-book
Copyright © 2007 by Carolyn Marsden
Front cover photographs: copyright © 2007 by Herb Schmitz/Stone/Getty Images (girl); copyright © 2007 by John William Banagan/The Image Bank/Getty Images (bicycle in street); copyright © 2007 by Andre Gallant/Iconica/Getty Images (bougainvillea)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
First electronic edition 2014
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Marsden, Carolyn.
When heaven fell / Carolyn Marsden.
p. cm.
Summary: When her grandmother reveals that the daughter that she had given up for adoption is coming from America to visit her Vietnamese family, nine-year-old Binh is convinced that her newly discovered aunt is wealthy and will take care of all the family’s needs.
ISBN 978-0-7636-3175-8 (hardcover)
[1. Aunts — Fiction. 2. Family life — Vietnam — Fiction. 3. Poverty — Fiction. 4. Wealth — Fiction. 5. Culture conflict — Fiction. 6. Vietnam — Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.M35135Whe 2007
[Fic] — dc22 2006051712
ISBN 978-0-7636-4381-2 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-7636-7430-4 (electronic)
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