The Principle's Daughter by Russ Katz

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 400

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing 

Released: 12th of September 2016 

At just ten years old, playing in the lush trees, and starting mischief with the boys, Kim loved her family and friends, the sounds of the market, the tastes of the foods in Vietnam. She enjoyed life, and wished it would never change. What she didn't know was all that she loved was about to be torn from her happy life. "Wake up, wake up..." her sister yelled, shaking her. Looking out the window behind their bed, Viet Cong marched just a hundred meters from her home just outside Saigon. Pop pop pop pop gunshots from the AK-47s jolted their muscles as a full-scale attack on the nearby American Army base began. Their small home caught in the cross re, Kim's family spent the night of Tet, the 1968 New Year, in the safety of a small, dark makeshift cellar.

What I Have to Say 

This book was a really interesting look into the Vietnamese culture and how it was changed Vietnam and the lives of the Vietnamese people. The story was told in vivid detail that gave the reader a strong sense of Kim's personality and character.

I just didn't understand why the author felt the need to document her meeting with her at the start of the book. It felt unnecessary and awkward, the sort of thing that would have been much better in a forward or an author's note, though I did like the detail that was added at the end about what happened to everyone else Kim knew at the end of the book. 

In short, this is a beautiful way to find out more about the Vietnam war and how it affected the lives of the people of Vietnam. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Dog Ear Publishing for providing me with this copy for review.