Written in the prose style of authors like Karen Hesse and Sonya Sones, Thanhha Lai weaves the story of a family’s life and journey from Vietnam to Alabama after the fall of Saigon. Ha along with her mother and three older brothers live in Saigon in 1975. Their father is serving in the Navy and has been missing in action for nine years. Ten-year-old Ha’s mother does her best to keep her family together in the tough times after the United States pulls out of Vietnam and the communists of North Vietnam move closer to their city. The family decides to flee Vietnam on a navy ship when Saigon collapses and through Ha’s eyes we learn about life on the ship, in refugee camps and finally about adjusting to life in Alabama in 1976. If you found Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl interesting, then you would should find Inside Out and Back Again just as interesting for it deals with the strength and courage families find to survive in the chaotic times of war.