Product Description

"When Heaven and Earth Changed Places" is the haunting memoir of the Vietnam war as seen through the eyes of a child who survived the horror. With the voice of a natural story-teller, Le Ly Hayslip tells the story of a young peasant girl's struggle to survive. Pressed into service by the Viet Cong, Hayslip was captured and tortured by government forces; then she was raped and almost murdered by her "comrades" in the VC. Later she lived with and loved several GIs. Finally, she married a kind-hearted American to escape the terror and insanity of the war. Once she arrived in the US in 1970, Hayslip lived the American dream to the hilt: she studied at night, worked during the day in an electronics factory and eventually became the owner of three houses and a restaurant near San Diego. Twice widowed and now unmarried, she has raised three sons. Meanwhile happiness proved elusive, the traumas of the war years lingering on in nightmare memories. In 1986 Le Ly went back to her homeland and was shocked to see the country and the people still profoundly scarred by the war. She subsequently sold the bulk of her property to start a foundation dedicated to building health clinics jointly staffed by Americans and Vietnamese.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #127174 in Books
• Published on: 1994-01-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Customer Reviews

An amazing story from which we can all learn a great deal...
This is a remarkable story about a very brave young woman caught up in a desperate struggle for survival. Well written in an easy, readable style. It gives an excellent view of a terrible conflict from the eyes of the average innocent unwillingly caught up in the horrors of modern warfare. The events within make you realise how lucky you are not to have lived a similar life. Thought provoking, soul searching stuff.