When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace

In When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman’s Journey from War to Peace, Le Ly Hayslip chronicles her experiences as a peasant during the Vietnam War and as an American returning to Vietnam to visit her family in 1986. She emphasizes the importance of family to her surviving the devastation of war and calls upon people to break the cycle of vengeance and mistrust on her return visit. Hayslip, who experienced the war firsthand, is well qualified to make this valuable contribution to the literature on the Vietnam War. Originally published in 1989, the book became an instant classic, upon which a movie was based.

All quotations are from the 2017 paperback edition with Jay Wurts.

Content Warning: Because Hayslip is describing the brutality of war, there are descriptions of torture, death, suicide, and sexual abuse.

Summary

In each chapter, Hayslip juxtaposes her story from the war years with that of her visit in 1986. The youngest of six children and weighing two pounds at birth, Hayslip only survived infancy because of the determination of her mother. Her parents were peasant farmers who cultivated rice. A peaceful man, her father stressed the importance of family, respect for ancestors, and dedication to the land.