The Chicken of the Family (review)

When a raging storm hits ten-year-old Tinh's Vietnamese seaside village, it's up to him to secure his family's fishing boat. The ferocity of the storm and the distraction of discovering his wealthier friend's cool remote-control car almost buried in the sand cause him to abandon his task, resulting in the boat's near-destruction and his father's subsequent anger and disappointment in him. As Tinh reflects upon his actions and upon the ability of both his friends and the Buddha to find happiness in the face of sadness and destruction, he matures enough to take a major role in repairing the boat, thus restoring his father's pride in him. The depiction of Tinh's life in what seems to be a primarily Buddhist fishing village in post-war Vietnam (an endnote states that "in this story the war has been over for several years") contains enough piquant detail to be genuinely intriguing. However, the brevity of the story leaves the characters too underdeveloped to be truly meaningful. Tinh's continual musings are sometimes insightful, but they tend to slow the book's pace, and the Buddhist message of happiness "no matter what" is occasionally somewhat clichéd and didactic ("Why hadn't he stayed and learned the secret of the Buddha's smile?"). Still, this is an interesting look at a time and place that will be exotically new to most kids today, and many may relate to Tinh's struggle to prove his maturity to his father. A glossary and pronunciation guide and short notes about Buddhism and the Vietnam War are included.