Finding Peace (Chapter 13)

In the light of starting fresh, this section focused on change and forgiveness.  In chapter 13, Le Ly uses to contrasting tones to describe the different situations she was facing in her young life and her adult life.

The tone for her young life was upbeat and forgiving.  She meets Paul and sets all her plans and dreams on him, and one day he just vanishes.  Although being abandoned couldn't have been easy, she decides to only take the good things from their relationship.  "I decided I should draw the strength of compassion, not the weakness of bitterness, from this most important lesson--from the lessons I had learned from every American that fate or luck or god had sent to be my teacher. ... Hating people who had wronged me only kept me in their power.  Forgiving them and thanking them for the lesson they had taught me, on the other hand, set me free to continue on my way."  This quote teaches that in order to free ourselves, we must forgive those who have hurt us.  Her relationship with Paul and his way of leaving her reminded me of "Things People Say" by Lady Antebellum.  


When she takes the readers back to the current world, they face a whole different reality.  The tone is angry and bitter because Anh makes her have lunch with people who don't think Vietnam will ever reach a state of peace.  This may have been a tool used to bring Le Ly back down to reality and realize things may not work out the way the other government officials made it seem like it would.  The tone changes back to optimism when Le Ly returns for dinner with her family because almost the entirety of the family is reunited. (the exception: Lan, who live in the U.S.)