Shadow of the Dragon

by Sherry Garland

Overview

The story of Danny Vo and his newly arrived cousin Sang Le who becomes involved in a Vietnamese gang. Inspired by a true incident.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780780735217
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	09/01/1993
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	0840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

SHERRY GARLAND is the author of many award-winning novels and picture books, including Indio, The Last Rainmaker. She lives in central Texas. www.sherrygarland.com

Editorial Reviews

Readers will find interesting descriptions of customs and attitudes of Vietnamese Americans throughout this contemporary multicultural story. Unfortunately, this novel tries to deal with too many issues. The sixteen-year-old main character, Danny Vo, has a difficult life in Houston, trying to balance school work, a job, and family obligations. Then his cousin Sang Le, recently arrived from Vietnam after years in a communist re-education center, gets involved with a Vietnamese gang that has been terrorizing local businesses. Meanwhile, Danny starts dating Tiffany Schultz, whose younger brother is confined to a wheelchair and whose older brother Frank is a Nazi skinhead who hates "gooks." Danny also has a black best friend and a younger sister who misbehaves a lot and then runs away, neither of which make any difference in the outcome of the novel. Good conflicts, but fewer would have been better.

The ALAN Review - Donald R. Gallo

Danny Vo was a young child when his family emigrated from Vietnam. Now he feels torn between his obligations as the eldest son and his desire to be fully American. When Sang Le, his 18-year-old cousin, comes to live with the family after spending years in "reeducation" and refugee camps, Danny's problems accelerate. Because Sang Le's English is so poor, he is unable to get a job and is failing his high school classes. He is shocked by what he perceives as American indolence and waste and believes the old Vietnamese way is better. Even so, he joins a gang that preys on Asian merchants. Danny's younger sister, Kim, rejects tradition, dresses like a tart, and runs away. Sang Le loves Hong, a traditional Vietnamese girl, but she admires Danny. Danny loves Tiffany, an all-American girl whose brother is a skinhead. Ba, Danny's grandmother, devotes her life to keeping the family traditions and lore intact, and she berates her grandchildren constantly because of their American ways. This is a complex coming-of-age story that takes the problems and loves of the young protagonists seriously and lets the innate goodness of the characters shine through all their mistakes. When Sang Le is ambushed and killed by skinheads, his death seems a tragedy that diminishes not only his family, but also the country that never quite found a place for him. Excellent characterizations and a complex, believable plot are blended into a moving story of the immigrant experience.

Sheilamae O