Vicky Nguyen

An optimistic, convivial memoir about a Vietnamese American reporter starting from her family’s history of becoming refugees to her starting from the bottom rung to being an accomplished news journalist. This is the most narrative-friendly memoir I’ve read, as each vignettes from Nguyen flow so smoothly from one to the other.

Nguyen has a talent for storytelling that makes you feel like you’re listening to a friend. She starts off the memoir with a history of her parents and relatives, show more and usually, it can be difficult for writers to relay experiences they haven’t experienced themselves. However, I think that she did her mom and dad’s personal stories justice and paints a picture of the harsh conditions of what her family had to endure to immigrate to the US.

Most chapters impart a personal lesson that she has learned, and she’s had a wealth of experience growing up Asian and living in multiple US cities, while learning to go with the flow. Overall, this was a joy to read and one of my favorite memoirs about the Vietnamese diaspora experience.

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review. show less

I've watched Vicky Nguyen on the Today show for years. When I saw she was publishing her memoir, I knew I had to read it. Her story of leaving communist Vietnam as a baby to NBC News Daily anchor and Senior Consumer Investigative Correspondent on the Today Show was detailed, raw, and inspiring. Her parents wanted a better life for themselves, their family, and especially for Vicky. They undertook a harrowing boat journey, spent almost a year in a refugee camp, and finally got to California. show more After years and years of hard work and perseverance, they gave Vicky the opportunities to live the American Dream. Vicky found her passion in journalism, especially investigative journalism. Her professional path took her around the country and finally she landed a dream job at NBC. She shares her relationship about her husband as well as the challenges of becoming parents to three beautiful daughters.
I highly recommend this memoir for a deep dive into her family, jobs, and personal journey. I had a hard time putting this book down as I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next. Her relationship with her parents, as well as her in-laws, is amazing and challenging, especially since her dad loves to take risks to get the next best thing. She is a role-model, not only for other young Vietnamese girls, but for all girls wanting to be reporters and balancing family with work.
#BoatBaby #SimonBooks
Thank you Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own. show less

This was an engaging memoir written by awarding-winning NBC news anchor and correspondent Vicky Nguyen. This book was my introduction to Vicky, and to the behind-the-scenes world of investigative journalism.

The story begins with her family’s 1975 escape from Vietnam when Vicky was an infant. She colorfully describes her California childhood discovering how to be an American, while her immigrant parents followed the American dream. We also track Vicky’s educational and professional career show more trajectories, and I found myself rooting for her from one job to the next.

The chapters were short and easy-to-read, the writing style was authentic and humorous, with just enough details to make it appropriate even for middle-school readers. Vicky shares how she has written this book for her three young daughters, which explained the “younger” tone.

I loved the collection of family photos included and I think this book is a good written example of the Asian immigrant perspective, of how many Vietnamese families express themselves, and their values to succeed in America. I appreciated Vicky’s realistic yet compassionate view of her parents.

Even though it wasn’t a deep exploration of her life and family relationships, I highly recommend this heartwarming “journey from refugee to reporter.” show less

nonfiction/memoir - Vietnamese-American morning news anchor/investigative reporter details her life in the U.S. after her family fled communist Sai Gon in 1979 (when she was an 8-month-old baby), found sponsors through her mom's employer and immigrated to the States. Takes place mostly in California, with 3 years in Phoenix, and some time in Vietnam, Reno and New York.

I liked learning about how she started out in TV news--having to handle her own filming before getting assigned a show more photographer, and being helped or hindered on the quality of the photographer, as well as the importance of having mentors who can offer help. I read the second half of the book in one sitting, but the first half was fairly forgettable aside from that highly-improbable-but-true scene when the family located the convicted killer of her uncle (he'd already served a year or so in prison for that crime, but was at that time wanted for the murder of his ex-wife). Still, I liked being able to relate to her childhood (my experiences were very different, but the time period matched up somewhat). More, please! show less