Everything will be alright, you'll see.
-- Anh (chapter 1)

Importance: On Anh and her family's last night in Vietnam, Anh's sister asks her if she is worried about their upcoming journey. Instead of confessing her fears, Anh lies to her sister. Although her lie is meant to protect her sister, Anh will later regret this deception, as it is the last night that she sees her parents and four of her siblings. The moment illustrates Anh's habit of quashing her own feelings and experiences in order to preserve the feelings of those she loves.

She was now their North Star . . .
-- Narrator (chapter 6)

Importance: At just 16 years old, Anh is forced to assume a parental role in her brothers Minh's and Thanh's lives when her parents and four siblings die on their way to Hong Kong. Although Anh is a distinct individual, with hopes, dreams, and longings of her own, she quickly learns to dispel her needs and...