This two-act play relates the story of life endured by a Vietnamese family who made their way to Canada as boat people. The play reveals much about Vietnam’s history as well as many details about being a refugee, along with the challenges many face when choosing Canada. Settings shift freely in both time and place—from scenes in decrepit, overcrowded small boats to those in a refugee camp. Life is harsh and no holds are barred. There are rapes, deaths, and pervasive hunger. The past (1970s) is every bit as believable and alive as more modern times.

Some Vietnamese language is part of the script; translations are offered, as are comprehensive notes that will assist anyone wishing to mount a production of this play. For high school use, it might prove most effective to home in on a selected scene or two. Links are provided to recorded music, which would enhance any presentation of the work.

Cautions / Content Warnings: Trigger warning at book’s opening regarding sexualized violence, typical in war, and occasional coarse language.
Other End Matter: Production notes at beginning of book
Images: B&W photographs
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Evaluator: Heidi G., K-12 Educator, BC Books for Schools

Sangeeta Wylie is a Vancouver-based actor and writer with credits in film, television, and theatre. we the same premiered at Vancouver’s The Cultch in 2021 and is her first full-length play. It received six Jessie Award nominations, winning two, and is on the curriculum at the University of Victoria’s Department of Theatre. A fully trained dentist as well as artist, she regularly volunteers with non-profit health-care organizations in Vietnam and northern British Columbia. www.imdb.me/sangeetawylie

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