Last Flight

This deeply touching chapter book recounts author Kristen Mai Giang's personal experience as an eight-year-old fleeing Saigon on April 24, 1975, just before its surrender. Through her child's perspective, readers witness the emotional decision to leave, the use of imaginative play to cope with fear, and the comfort found in a beloved stuffed animal. Dow Phumiruk's tender illustrations beautifully complement the narrative, making this a powerful and accessible introduction to a significant historical event and the universal themes of family, courage, and hope in the face of displacement. It's a story of resilience and finding a new home, perfect for opening conversations about history and empathy.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard On April 24, 1975 the last flight out of Saigon, Vietnam carried over 400 people to the United States, six days before Saigon’s surrender to the North Vietnamese Army. Kristen Giang was a little girl, on that flight with family, and here in this story she shares all the emotions of the decision to flee from the perspective of someone eight years old; Playing a game of space-explorers to protect herself and her sister’s eyes from tear gas; sneaking a stuffed animal into the family’s overstuffed suitcase for comfort. Dow Phumiruk’s tender illustrations let anyone feel the excitement and the ultimate hopefulness of this amazing true story. P R A I S E “Deeply touching… A tender and powerful portrait of a harrowing, historic event.” —Booklist "Mai Giang’s sensory-filled prose gently and evocatively communicates a personal wartime story. Phumiruk’s clean, soft illustrations, done in Photoshop and pencil, bring to life a gamut of emotions…A moving and illuminating story of family, war, courage, and newfound home.” —Kirkus “Giang’s affecting, powerful recounting of her family’s escape from Saigon in 1975 renders a largely unexplored moment in history intimate and urgent.” —BCCB