The refugees fleeing the turmoil at the end of the Vietnam war became known as “boat people”. Cecile Pin’s evocative debut, longlisted for the Women’s prize, was inspired by her mother’s experiences while emigrating to France, but she relocates her story to Thatcher’s Britain.
Fifteen-year-old Anh and her younger brothers, Thanh and Minh, are the first of their family to attempt the hazardous journey to Hong Kong. If they didn’t drown, they could be attacked by pirates. Their parents and younger siblings perish at sea. Detained in a camp, Anh swiftly recognises her vulnerability: “she was homeless and smelling and weak. A carrier of disease… perceived as vermin.” The three siblings remain in limbo until the UK agrees to accept them.
