AUTHOR HARRIET HILL AT THE MARS HILL LIBRARY JULY 15
The Mars Hill Library's Summer Speakers' program will host Harriet Hill, author of "Escaping Viet Nam - H'Yoanh's Story, a Memoir of Determination, Defiance and Deliverance," at 1 p.m., Tuesday, July 15, in the Library's meeting room.
H'Yoanh's story of survival is beyond any reality-survival TV show today. Shortly after childbirth, her mother died. Relatives cared for her until age four, when they placed her in a Catholic orphanage and school until high school.
U.S. troops left Vietnam in 1973. In 1975, Saigon falls and H'Yoanh is now age 16. The Viet Cong government begins eradicating the 2,000 year-old tribes of the Central Highlands.
And herein begins the extraordinary 11-year survival of H'Yoanh and village friends in the Highlands, running from execution while enduring starvation, danger, and incredible hardships in jungle conditions.
In 1986, H'Yoanh, her husband and baby, arrive in the United States along with 209 other refugees, and settled into Raleigh, NC.
Now naturalized citizens, H'Yoanh, her husband, and five children remain residents of Raleigh. Two of her children have graduated from college, one from law school. The miracle of her survival is a story of triumph in itself. As well, is the inspiring attribution given by H'Yoanh who is quoted saying that angels were with her throughout it all, in the darkest of times, and that she "survived by the Grace of God."
H’Yoang and her husband will be present at the event. Harriet Hill will be available after the meeting for book signing. Further information is available by phoning the Mars Hill Library at 689.5183 and at harrietthill@frontier.com and on website: escapingvietnam.tateauthor.com