Tangled Threads by Pegi Deitz Shea

Shea, Pegi Deitz. Tangled Threads. Newark: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.

Tangled Threads is the story of 13-year-old Mai and her experiences from the refugee camps in Thailand through her immigration to the United States. Written in the first person, the story sheds light on the harsh conditions of refugee camps for Hmong and gives a detailed account of the processes necessary for immigration to the U.S. The descriptions Mai gives of her first encounters with transportation, technology and American culture give the reader insight into the potential experience of an immigrant to the United States. The novel focuses on issues of immigration, culture, religion, race, socioeconomic status, belonging, family and survival.

I really enjoyed reading Tangled Threads. Although I didn't find the writing to be particularly excellent, I felt the issues discussed were valuable to a young adult audience. I also appreciated the opportunity to delve deeper into the Hmong culture, of which I have very little prior experience. Given the high population of Hmong people in Minnesota, I think this would be a great text to use with middle school students in the context of cultural competency and coming of age tales.