On May 14, CIA planes evacuated Hmong soldiers and their families out of Laos. The CIA military base city of Long Cheng fell to communist forces, and the Hmong people who were left behind fled to nearby Thailand to escape persecution. As the weeks, months, and years went by, more Hmong tried to escape from Laos. Tens of thousands were killed by communist soldiers during their journey out of the country.

  In total, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Hmong soldiers, or one-fourth of the total population of Hmong men and boys, died in combat. Close to 3,000 are still missing in action.

  Skip Notes

  * referred to as the Noble Lao Army in the book

  Acknowledgments

  There are not enough words to express my gratitude for my agent, Laurel Symonds. Laurel, thank you for being a true champion of my work and especially this book. When this novel was only a few pages of an idea, you were already excited. Without your gentle guidance and steadfast support, I couldn’t have finished writing it. Your positivity and unwavering confidence in me are what motivate me to continue creating.

  To my editor, Stacey Barney, from the very beginning, you have believed in this book. I’m so lucky I found someone so passionate about this story! Thank you for always asking the right questions and making me a better storyteller. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love for my family’s story, the vision you’ve had for it, and for making my dream come true. I am forever grateful for that and for your radiant energy.

  Thank you to Christina Chung and Theresa Evangelista for the magnificent cover. You turned a heartbreaking moment into a dazzling and magical image, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more spectacular. A thousand thank-yous to the entire team at Nancy Paulsen / Penguin Random House: Suki Boynton, Marikka Tamura, Cindy Howle, Aaron Burkholder, Sarah Sather, Trevor Ingerson, Carmela Iaria, and Sierra Pregosin. I am eternally indebted to each of you and will never forget your hard work.

  A giant thank-you to Jess Keating for teaching me how to be an epic author. Because of you, I learned how to rewrite my own story, make quantum leaps in my writing, and step onto the path that changed the trajectory of my career (and my life). I will always be in awe of your wisdom, intelligence, and kindness.

  I want to thank the following people for reading excerpts of this novel at various stages. First, Cordelia Jensen for your invaluable advice. I came to you so early in the process, and you offered suggestions and helped spark ideas that made a world of difference in my manuscript. Heather Bouwman, for your feedback and for generously answering my many questions. Thank you for the brunches and discussions about kidlit and publishing. I deeply appreciate your genuine warmth and graciousness. Michal Babay for your comments, encouragement, and friendship. Thank you also for the serious and funny conversations, brainstorming sessions, and accountability yelling throughout my drafting and revising. You are the best, most thoughtful agent-sister ever! And my brilliant friend Heather Davis for your excellent critiques and input. Thank you for showing me what is beautiful writing and constantly inspiring me to write better, for listening to all my book ideas and every goofy song I write or sing, and for our life talks. You have gotten me through the toughest of times and I’m still waiting for that time machine!

  To my sister Sheng, you are the heart of this story, and I know this book doesn’t even scratch the surface of everything you and our family went through, but I hope it’s a start. Thank you for reading all the drafts, helping me with my research, and crying with me through every word. Thank you to my big brother, Tou Yia, for letting me tell a part of your story—even the hard parts, for sharing more stories that I didn’t know about, and for calculating the distance of all our travels. Thank you to my sisters O and T for reading and rereading pages and helping with the important details. Thank you to my parents for your never-ending love, sense of humor, and perfect charm—to my mom for your constant care and attention and to my dad for all the jokes we shared and everything you taught me. It’s because of you that I’m even here to tell this story. My biggest honor in this lifetime is being your daughter.

  I want to give a shout-out to my family in the Philippines. Thanks for cheering me on from across the ocean. I’m so fortunate to have you and I miss you all. Thank you to my kids J and T for encouraging me to write ever since you were little (“Someday you will be the author to visit my school!” and “Are you ever going to finish writing that book?”) and to my adorable BFF Akamaru, who keeps me quiet company during the long hours I write. Last but not least, thank you to my husband, Win, who does everything imaginable in this world to support me so I can continue writing and following every single one of my dreams. Thank you magpakailanman.

  About the Author

  V.T. Bidania was born in Laos and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has an MFA in creative writing from The New School and is a McKnight Artist Fellow. She is the author of the ASTRID AND APOLLO series, the first children’s book series to star Hmong American characters, and A YEAR WITHOUT A HOME, a fictionalized memoir in verse about her family’s escape from Laos at the end of the Vietnam War.

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  V. T. Bidania, A Year Without Home

 

 

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