What is the theme in The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam by Quang Nhuong Huynh?

The fragility of life is a central theme. One point made abundantly clear throughout The Land I Lost is that life in the unforgiving wilderness could be snuffed out in an instant. Nhuong treats the subject of death matter-of-factly, almost casually, demonstrating that death was a constant in his community.