Praise for Roots and Wings
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Award for Youth Literature
This is essential reading for all those whose cultural ties go back to Southeast Asia, especially to Cambodia... The problems in Grace's life are not neatly resolved, but instead the reader understands the complexities of family relationships...the author, seems to be comfortable with all these themes, loving and understanding these characters, writing poignantly and beautifully about their lives.
— Claire Rosser, KLIATT
Replete with Cambodian historical and religious details, this thoughtful coming-of-age story is grounded in family and tradition.
— HORN BOOK
Replete with details depicting religious beliefs, Grace's quest for answers makes for an intriguing contemplation on life within the Cambodian-American immigrant community, as well as a satisfying coming-of-age story. — Kirkus Reviews
The book is beautifully written...the author allows family secrets to unfold carefully and explores them with sincerity. — Juliana M. Helt, Carneigie Library of Pittsburgh
Praise for Home is East
Author Many Ly’s Home is East has a crisp, innocent tone; the plot is filtered through a 10-year-old’s five senses, limited yet surprisingly keen. The book is mainly intended for young adults, but would be enjoyable for everyone. — Asian Women’s Magazine
This compassionate and honest story will carry readers along a trail of love, hate, friendship, laughter, and tears in the company of many unforgettable characters. This is an enjoyable novel for many readers for many reasons. — Children’s Literature
A heartbreaking coming-of-age tale about growing up Cambodian American, losing a parent, losing community and discovering new strength and independence. — AsianWeek’s New and Notable Books
Author Many Ly hits the right emotional notes of conflict and grief, and accurately portrays a preteen’s struggle to be more emotionally mature than her father – who clearly loves her intensely – yet who still needs her father to protect and guide her. Ly, a former schoolteacher who is a Cambodian immigrant, delivers a rich portrait of Cambodian-American life and an accurate one of preteens’ school and social relationships. Though nothing is too graphic, there is a scene in which the father is horribly mistreated by the Khmer Rouge and one in which a friend’s mother discreetly examines an incoherent-with-grief Amy to see if she’s been sexually assaulted at a dance (she wasn’t). And while some problems resolve too neatly and quickly, Amy’s emotional journey is authentically one traveled by many other children from broken families, who struggle and yet, like Amy, grow strong. — The Orange County Register
This is a wonderful, sad and happy story of a young girl’s strength in coming to grips with her heritage and her new home. — Pittsburgh Magazine
Author Many Ly has tenderly drawn a heartfelt story full of identifiable characters and insightful relationships that is ultimately a universal journey—not only from East to West but also from loss to love. — Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
While readers will gain insight into a foreign culture, they will also realize how similar people are regardless of background. This is a good coming-of-age story, a good father-daughter story, and an excellent story about how immigrants become part of a new country while retaining their own culture. — School Library Journal
New York Public Library’s 100 Books to Read and Share (2005)