All The Broken Pieces

"All the Broken Pieces" was an emotional, haunting read that brought the horrors of the Vietnam War to life. I loved Matt's character and my heart bled for him. The author perfectly portrayed the guild and gratitude he felt after being airlifted out of his war torn country, and evacuated to the safety of America leaving his mother and younger brother behind.

Too often Matt blames himself for what happened, but gradually he learns to accept and forgive himself. I thought his foster parents were tow wonderful people who gave Matt security, support and unconditional love.

"All the Broken Pieces" explores loss, trauma and healing, using beautiful poetic language that effortlessly draws the reader in and floods them with vivid images. A show more wonderful find. show less

Seventh grader Matt Pin is a child of war. Airlifted out of Vietnam by American soldiers and adopted by a loving American family, he carries within him inescapable visions of chaos: “the smell and the smoke and the sound of someone crying,” his mother’s “thin, shrill staccato” voice when she urged him away from her to safety “through sounds of whirring helicopters and open prayers,” and his 3 yr. old brother’s burned, dismembered body.

At the center of these visions is a dark secret, one Matt keeps tightly wound up inside.

Luckily, he has baseball. When his “new” father introduces him to the sport, they discover Matt’s talent for pitching unhittable sliders. Against all odds, Matt makes the middle school team – led show more by a tough, fair-minded coach who rejects prejudice – and his first time on the mound he pitches a perfect game.

He also has piano. “When I play the piano, I’m sheltered in that safe place where the only thing that matters is music.” His teacher, Jeff, a virtuoso who gave up a prestigious musical school to serve as a medic in the war, knows something about the darkness Matt carries inside (”Jeff’s Vietnam is my Vietnam, the Vietnam nobody talks about on Saturday mornings”) and encourages Matt to talk.

Above all, Matt has his new family. His mother sings to him when he awakens screaming at night (You are safe, my precious child. You are safe now, you are home) and his proud father stands quietly by at all his games. But, falling in love with a new family begs all sorts of questions that add their own pressure: How can I love two families at once? How could my mother give me away if she really loved me? Will my new family give me away if I’m not perfect? Did anyone here spray Agent Orange on the people I loved? Only through a series of simple, yet powerful encounters with a racist teammate and a group of war-wounded vets (not to mention remarkable support from the adults in his life) does Matt finally find some sweet, much needed relief.

All the Broken Pieces is an exceptionally beautiful novel that captures the physical and emotional wreckage left in the wake of the Vietnam War. Written in free verse form, the novel moves at a quick pace through sharp, disarmingly poetic fragments that fit Matt’s intense feelings of confusion. Everyone in this story has been disfigured in some way by the war. But, remarkably, many of the characters also reveal their persistent good hearts and act out of love towards one another in quiet, unexpected ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one wins the Newbery. show less

A very sweet, touching story, making real the horrors of the Vietnam War but at the same time still appropriate for 9-to-12s. Airlifted out of Vietnam and evacuated to safety in America, twelve-year-old Matt has been living for two years with adoptive parents who adore him. But the war lingers, in his own mind and in the world around him. He misses the family he left behind; he blames himself for his lost little brother's land mine injuries. Once a week he goes to a meeting for Vietnam veterans, many of them disabled. He tries to reconcile his new life with the one he used to have.

The free verse makes the story zip along nicely, and the baseball games give it structure. Matt's piano teacher and his coach are excellent role models. And show more on top of all of that, on top of enlightening the modern young reader about this forty-year-old war, I think this book is also a good example of how an adoptive family should be. Matt's parents love him unconditionally, the same as they do their biological son, but they also don't try to deny his heritage.

I would highly recommend this, particularly for a school unit on Vietnam or war in general. show less

It only took me an hour to read this, but it was intense. Between all the death, dismemberment, guilt, racism, violence and fear, there's baseball, piano playing, family dinners and lullabies. But that's what you get from books about the Vietnam War. Ann Burg's story doesn't shy away from gruesome details, but she also shows that life goes on.

I wasn't blown away by the writing (like I was by, say, [b:Out of the Dust|25346|Out Of The Dust|Karen Hesse|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184485196s/25346.jpg|808243]). But it didn't make me roll my eyes (like, say, [b:Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba|6151004|Tropical Secrets Holocaust Refugees in Cuba|Margarita show more Engle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255700915s/6151004.jpg|6330166]). I think the story was so moving because it rang true. It is difficult for most of us to imagine life as a Vietnamese boy adopted by a suburban American family in 1977. A boy who witnessed terrible things before being airlifted to a totally different world, a world where people blame him for the deaths of their loved ones. He tells his story as if he's just barely able to get through it. It's harrowing.

What age is this best for? That's a little tough. Matt, the narrator and main character, is 12 or so. There's no mature language, but there are enough disturbing scenes from war-torn Vietnam to make me think twice about giving this to a 10 or 11 year old. And the fact that the writing can be a little difficult to sort out makes me think it'd be best for 8th grade and up. It definitely requires a reader who is relatively skilled and mature.

Mock Newbery 2010 show less

This powerful novel-in-verse is told through the eyes of 12-year-old Matt, who was airlifted out of Vietnam and adopted by an American family. He is close to his new mom and new dad, but can't forget the family he left behind, especially his younger brother. As he tries to assimilate through baseball and music, he faces hatred and prejudice from some of his classmates. While I did not find Matt's poetic voice to be entirely authentic, Burg's choice to write his story in this style adds a depth and an intensity. Students who do not know much about the Vietnam War will be captivated by Matt's resilience.

I was crying by the end of this book! I found Matt's story of memory and healing so touching. The poetry was sparse and beautiful. Matt was airlifted out of Vietnam. His mom gave him to the American soldiers to get a chance at a better life. His brother was gravely injured. Matt's new family is loving, accepting, and patient. Matt plays on the baseball team and takes piano lessons from a Vietnam Vet. Through a series of experiences and time, he learns to share what he saw in Vietnam during the war.

This was a beautiful story about trauma, identity, family, and finding your way. It was especially moving because it captured an important historical and cultural moment in the years when Vietnam veterans were returning home - sometimes broken - to an angry and divided nation. The protagonist is a a refugee, a child brought to America for a better life. Incredibly touching. I listened on audiobook and I think the voice of the character was spot on.