Song of the Buffalo Boy [Hardcover]

Sherry Garland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1992 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Seventeen-year-old Loi's family promises to wed her to an older man, so she flees to Ho Chi Minh City and, with her buffalo-herding boyfriend, prepares to leave for America in search of her biological father.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW singled out the "strongly atmospheric" writing, with its "graceful interpolations of Vietnamese words and references to Vietnamese culture and traditions," in this account of an Amerasian girl's journey toward self-realization. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-- Amerasian Loi grows up in a village in Vietnam, insulted by all, hated by many. A modern-day Cinderella, she works diligently for her uncle's family, is refused schooling, and made to share her mother's shame. Only Khai, a buffalo herder, sees Loi as a person, and proclaims his love. Lewd, unsavory Officer Hiep also wants her, and her fearful family agrees to the marriage. Loi and Khai run away, but their plan goes awry, and the young woman finds herself alone in Ho Chi Minh City. Armed with a photograph of her mother with an American soldier and a compelling desire to learn the truth of her birth, she survives the ordeals of the streets, helped by a brash, street-smart Vietnamese boy who wants more than anything to be an American. Loi finds a fairy godfather in a Vietnam vet who has come back to find his own child. He fails, but offers to sponsor her and take her to the U. S. She and Khai are reunited at the last minute, and all end happily. Garland speaks with an authentic voice, enveloping readers in the warm, fragrant air of rural Vietnam and the fumes and noisy crowds of what Loi still calls Saigon. She also speaks of the war and its devastation: families torn apart, brother fighting brother, and the lingering effects of defoliant. The easy use of Vietnamese adds to the realism. This is a compelling coming-of-age novel in which Loi has lived by rules that preclude her happiness in a land she loves. Only the neat resolution and fairy-tale ending weaken the otherwise well-told story. --Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152771077
• ISBN-13: 978-0152771072
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #786,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sherry Garland is the award-winning author of thirty books for children, teenagers and adults. Several of her books focus on the Vietnamese culture due to her close friendships with Vietnamese families. As a fifth generation Texan, she also sets many of her books in the Lone Star State. She especially likes to write historical works. For more information, visit her website: www.sherrygarland.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Song of the Buffalo boy, October 29, 2003

By 

Stephani (Salt Lake City Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Buffalo Boy (Great Episodes) (Paperback)

Song of the Buffalo Boy is a wonderful book about some of the effects of the war in Vietnam. It was written by Sherry Garland. It is 282 pages, but has a double-spaced format, which makes it fly by. It tells the story of a fifteen year old farm girl in a town near Da Nang, Vietnam. She is very tall, with large hands and curly black hair. This is because she is Amerasian. During the Vietnam war, many Vietnamese women slept with soldiers for money. Loi remembers being with a tall blonde man and her mother when she was young. He seemed kind, and gentle. She has a picture of herself, her mother and this soldier. She is certain that this is her father, although whenever she brings up the subject her mother won't tell her anything. Her dream is to go to America and find her father. She has no idea about the Amerasian Homecoming project, which was set up in Vietnam for children of the wars. It was a real program that gave over 80,000 Amerasian children the opportunity to go to America.. The other dream she has is to ,marry a young Buffalo herder by the name of Khai. They love each other, but his family thinks it will be dishonorable for him to marry a Con-Lai. A Con-Lai means a half breed in Vietnamese. This book takes place in 1989, but it seems like a long time before that because her lifestyle is so simple. The author did a really great job at describing things and giving the characters distinct, passionate personalities. It isn't a predictable book at all. The books takes many twists and turns, ending in one final curve in the story. I thought this book gave a really wonderful insight into the lives of farming Vietnamese in this time period, and is probably fairly the same today. She did a lot of research for this book, and it was one of the most phenomenal books that I have ever read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelle, May 2, 2004

By 

Mayra (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Buffalo Boy (Great Episodes) (Paperback)

Title of the Book: Song of the Buffalo Boy
Author: Sherry Garland
Publishers: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Year Published: 1992

Author: Sherry Garland was born in Rio Grande Valley, Texas she was born on July 24th. She attended The University of Texas at Arlington; she received a bachelor's degree in French. She majored in linguistics and in English. She has written twenty-five books, both for children and adult. Most of her books are about Vietnam.

Thesis: Some people live in places where they have to very concern about their cultures and traditions, which it keeps them from going beyond and do something good for their selves. The main idea of the book is to believe in yourself, no matter how hard it takes to get what you want never give up. Courage is what everyone needs to get something that would be called "prohibited", unless you fight for it which good rewards come after.

Summary and Analysis:
Vietnamese people hated Americans because they were the ones, who had destroyed and poisoned their town, and since Loi was half American she was not welcomed. The only person who would talk to Loi except her family was Khai, a young l boy that Loi loved. Her uncle wanted to marry her to an officer but Loi did not wanted to marry him but she didn't wanted to go against her uncle's words. Loi and Khai decided to run away but they got separated because of Khai's brother. Loi goes to the city by herself hoping that Khai will come after her, but after a few weeks she realizes that Khai would never come. As she explores the dangerous city she gets an opportunity to go to America and find her father but she gives up that opportunity when she sees that her love one has come to get her. Loi finds out the truth about her American father and she lost interest in knowing him. She decides to go back to her town and marry Khai.
Vietnamese people had so much hate on Americans that they would never mix their blood and who ever had part of American blood it was a disgrace to their culture. During the war in Vietnam American soldiers would get a girls pregnant but had to kill the baby if she wanted to stay with her family. In this book, Loi's mother was thrown out of her house and her family did not helped her when she was having the baby in the street. People were still recovering from the war, they lost everything they had some were well know but after the war they had to struggle in order to survive and they would blame Americans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a great Vietnamese cultrue romance novel, December 7, 1999

By 

Leilani Vo (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Buffalo Boy (Great Episodes) (Paperback)

I had read this book when I'm a freshman in highschool. I just happen to find the book and begin reading. I really like the book. The author seem to understand the Vietnamese culture. The book gives me the feeling of how the country people in Vietnam lives and its culture. The love between Loi and Khai caught me the best. It's a wonderful book to read.