When Heaven and Earth Came Together

 Word Count: 269 words

Le Ly Hayslip lived in central Vietnam with her family, growing up in a world that was falling apart. U.S. helicopters landed in her village and both sides began gathering children to use as spies and those who engage in sabotage. These children have almost no choice to go against their government, so they are thrown into this war against their will, potentially throwing off the course of their life. She was twelve years old when this occurred, unable to determine what exactly was going on, but she was able to have faith through it all. She was a supporter of Viet Cong, working on their side to support them in the war. At the age of twelve she was met with deaths of her family, and also experienced torture and rape, things no one should experience- especially not a twelve year old girl. The Vietnam War changed her, but she was able to stay strong in her belief that there is good out there, and she was able to escape to America. A quote in the prologue that really stuck out to me is,  "The special gift of suffering, I have learned, is how to be strong while we are weak, how to be brave when we are afraid, how to be wise in the midst of confusion, and how to let go of that which we can no longer hold. In this way, anger can teach us forgiveness, hate can teach us love, and war can teach us peace." She stands relentless throughout her terrible circumstances and is someone we can all learn tons of things from.