Mai Le

Mai is the narrator of the novel. She is the daughter of Mua and Rene. Her grandmother is Ba. Mai is twelve in this story who was born and raised in California. She is driven to excel by her parents. Her mother Renee is an attorney and her father Mua is a doctor. Mai notes that she is called Mia a school. In this guide, she is referred to only a Mai except in direct quotes. As Mai learns about the Vietnamese language, she comes to appreciate that her parents chose a name that could be adjusted for the American culture and that does not include any diacritical marks. Mai is intelligent, confident, and generally obedient, though she cries and begs when she is first sent to Vietnam with Ba and Mua. Despite those arguments, she tends to do what she believes is expected. When Mai is...