Child of War, Woman of Peace

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Summary: Everyone can learn something from the life of Le Ly Hayslip
Review: "Child of War, Woman of Peace" is a little bit of a continuation and a little bit of a repetition of her earlier memoir, "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places." If you've read "Heaven" and enjoyed it you will undoubtedly want to keep going and read this book as well.

Le Ly Hayslip is a woman who was brutalized by all sides in Vietnam. Then she married an abusive American and received some of that same treatment here in the US. What might have caused another person to be bitter, angry and cynical seems to have only strengthened Hayslip's resolve to live and let go. It's clear that her Buddhism played a crucial role in allowing her to do this. I'm not a Buddhist, but I do wonder about the followers of other faiths in their ability to follow in Hayslip's footsteps.

And that's ultimately what I think most readers will get out of this. If you've had a bad day, a bad year, or even bad life - read this book. If Le Ly Hayslip can forgive, move on, and make a positive contribution to this world then just about anyone else can as well. She's an inspiration and a role model to all of us, no matter who you are or what country you live in.

Sadly, Oliver Stone butchered her two books in his movie. The drama, chaos, and the meaning of Le Ly Hayslips actions just aren't conveyed well. If you've seen only the movie you've missed out on the best parts of what Hayslip has to teach us.

I can't recommend this book (and "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places") enough. It needs to be read - by everyone. I can't say that about too many books.

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Summary: A MUST READ FOR EVERY WALK OF LIFE
Review: I was fortunate enough to come across this wonderful book purely by chance last year.Miss le ly Hayslip gives a truely heart rending account of her life as a little peasant girl living in war torn vietnam.This book really puts you through an emotional meat grinder at times tearing apart your insides with Le ly's terrifying accounts of her own terrible suffering and that of her family and indeed all those around her leaving you with an awful empty feeling of total sadness and total lack of faith for the human race.Amazingly Despite all her own horrific experience of human ignorance and cruelty she bears no ill will or malice towards her fellow man and through her own incredible courage and strength of spirit,she inevitably leaves us all with a strong sense of hope and her message of compassion and peace. Sadly this terrific book seems to have been largly overlooked which is a great shame as it is a real eye opener and has so much more to say than just your average account of the horrors of war.Its a deeply moving account of one very brave little womans triumph of spirit in the face of total adversity.Anyone with the tiniest shred of compassion will be moved to tears.It Really puts our own little problems and gripes into perspective. One of the most profound and touching books i have ever read.I cannot recommend it enough,please get your hands on it and read it NOW.

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Summary: Very Important -- all American youth should read
Review: Literarily, both books are extremely well written. Not quite Hemingway or Shakespeare, but much better than any of those written by the vets (I've read ten of those).

H & E gives the experiences of a victim of the war, atrocities from both sides, but also shows the family love (and spats)that Le Ly lived.

Re the war experiences: I consider this book so important because it demonstrates how extremely evil, in effect if not intent, that a government can be, when it fixates on an ideology, at pursues it at all cost. If communism is evil, so is extreme anti-communism. Young people need to learn the reality behind all the flag-waving and "USA" chanting.

Above all, H & E and the sequel show how one person (sometimes it seems like only one person) was able to overcome the barbarities that the U.S. inflicted upon S.E. Asia. Only one of the vets memoirs, Kontum Diary, gives any glimpse of any growth of humanity.

Personally, I think that Le Ly and ! EMWF deserve the Noble Peace Prize - but they don't accept nominations.