Pronunciation Guide Name or Word Who or What Pronunciation An Lâm's older brother an ào bà ba traditional outfit worn in rural Vietnam OW beh bah Cuội Huấn Huy Lâm Lan Linh Mai Minh a lumberjack in Vietnamese legend COO-oy the translator on Cap Anamur h-won a man from Palawan wee Thọ's best friend from home lum a teenager from the camp in Manila Thọ's aunt Lâm's older sister a thief lan lin my min bin Mr Bình a man who organizes escapes Mỵ Nương a princess in Vietnamese MIH NOO-ung legend
Who or What Pronunciation Name or Word Phát Quang Sơn Tinh Tâm tạt lon Tết Trung Thu fat kwang kwin sang tum tat lawn TAYT choong too tow tey surn Thọ's cousin Thọ's uncle who lives in America Quỳnh a bully Sang Thọ's neighbor Lord of the Mountain in Vietnamese legend sun DHIN Thọ's neighbor a game Lunar New Year Thảo Thọ's older sister Thầy Sơn Thọ's teacher Thọ a boy from South Vietnam taw Thủy Tinh toy-EE DHIN Tiên Việt Lord of the Sea in Vietnamese legend Thọ's older sister Thọ's friend from Cap Anamur tee-EN vee-ET
Name or Word Who or What Pronunciation Vũ Thọ's older brother voo xe lam a three-wheeled vehicle sair lam A note on usage Vietnamese kids use mother and father and are always consistent in that form This is why words like mom and dad aren't used in this book Similarly Vietnamese say America not the United States The word anh is a respectful way of addressing someone It technically means brother
Hồ Chí Minh City formerly Sài Gòn CHAPTER 1 April 1980 Mine's going to bite the leg off yours Thọ Lâm smiles devilishly rubbing his hands with glee That's what you said before the last fight I laugh not at all fazed by the threat And remember how it turned out Lâm rolls his eyes The last fight had not gone his way I add I believe I've won the last four fights No the last five fights That'll make this one number six If you win interrupts Lâm When I win Okay Thọ let's get started We are sitting in the doorway of my house We've each chosen a cricket for the duel Lâm who lives next door has brought his insect in a matchbox which he carefully holds in the palms of his hands His black cricket chirps and nibbles on a piece of banana Lâm has given him unaware that he's about to go into battle All the boys we know like cricket fighting But Lâm takes
