Nhi Aronheim - Soles of a Survivor

Nhi Aronheim has lived many lives: the privileged daughter of a physician in Vietnam, frightened child who escapes barefoot through the jungles of Cambodia, refugee in Thailand with only two pieces of clothing to her name, adopted daughter of an American family in the South, and now wife, mother, and writer. In Soles of a Survivor, she writes beautifully about war and its aftermath, adversities and misfortunes to be overcome, the vicissitudes of religion and fate, and, ultimately, resilience, endurance, and gratitude. Her life and her words are an inspiration.

Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, and China Dolls

Using candid and courageous language, Nhi Aronheim weaves a tale of perseverance and fortitude against the backdrop of a country torn apart by war and a mothers desire to seek the best for her children. Part coming of age, part personal and family saga, Soles of a Survivor tells the story of a resilient, exceptional girl growing up, growing away, and becoming the woman she was destined to be.

Cynthia Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller and The Glass Forest

Soles of a Survivor is a story of awe-inspiring bravery, grit and love. Nhi Aronheim has navigated worlds within worldsfrom the jungles of Cambodia to the suburbs of Kentucky and moreand she brings each one to life with cinematic clarity. Soles of a Survivor is an astounding book, one I will never forget.

Domenica Ruta, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You and Last Day

Its said that refugees lead three lives: their life before being driven from their home; their life on the move, seeking refuge; and, if they survive, a new life adapting to a foreign land. Nhi Aronheim lives all those lives and more in this memoir of persistence, hope, and healing.

Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

Aronheims indomitable spirit and determination to survive what many cannot bear to even imagine is truly extraordinary. Her astounding survival, astonishing grace, and radiant gratitude are a triumph of the human spirit and tribute to the incredible strength of this extraordinary woman. Her message of strength and positivity is needed now more than ever. We must never forget the horrors that humans can exact on each other so as to learn from the past and do better in the future. Aronheims courageous tell-all is a vital first-person preservation of a part of history that is too-often overlooked, and a powerful reminder of the vital and wonderful part that immigrants play in American life. Soles of a Survivor is a must-read for memoir-lovers, survival-lovers, and those who believe in the power of womens voices, and womens stories.

Sara DiVello, author of Where in the OM Am I?

Nhi Aronheims Soles of a Survivor is a powerful, uplifting memoir. The story traces the harrowing journey of a young girl from her life as a political refugee on the run to the pinnacle of the American Dream. The book is a beacon of light for dark and trying times.

Tiffany Reisz, USA Today bestselling author

Nhi Aronheim overcame almost unimaginable odds escaping her homeland as a twelve-year-old in 1987. This inspiring story of her harrowing escape through the jungles of Cambodia, surviving the squalid refugee camps in Thailand, and then thriving in the United States is a valuable addition to the expanding literature of the post-American war Vietnamese diaspora.

Marc Leepson, arts editor and columnist, The VVA Veteran magazine

Every spring, as the world itself reveals the possibility of renewal, the Jewish People gather around their Passover tables and retell the story of a miraculous journey from degradation to liberation. Our Haggadah is the guide for this annual telling. In her riveting narrative, Soles of a Survivor, Nhi Aronheim has penned a version of her own Haggadah detailing a stunning and unlikely path from the war-torn streets and jungles of Vietnam to a new life in America. As her story unfolds we learn of good people she encountered whose kindness and goodness ultimately love her into a sturdy belief in herself, even when merging the two worlds of her personal history proves complicated. Nhis is a story of redemption pulled from her most intimate memories. It is at once a personal and universal journal in which we learn how the author ultimately finds a home for her heart with her beloved, and a home for her soul within the Jewish community, a community she makes stronger and kinder. In its pages, the reader cannot help but feel that renewal is ever a possibility.

Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, president, The Wexner Foundation

Nhi has shown all of the characteristics that define her lifetoughness, resilience, compassion, and hope. Those traits come through in this record of an extraordinary young womans continuing journey. Vietnam and the United States will be linked in many ways for generations to comemost powerfully in the lives of people like Nhi. Soles of a Survivor is an important addition to our continuing exploration of that relationship. Even more, it is a story that should inspire us all.

Clarence R. Wyatt, author of Paper Soldiers: The American Press and the Vietnam War and president, Monmouth College

High talent alongside high energy and strong values are a tough combination to beat . amazing and inspiring story.

Dr. John Roush, president emeritus, Centre College

To my beloved husband, Jeff, and children, Max and Sarah, and to all my families and friends who always believed in me and helped me become who I am today.

In writing this book, I relied on my memory and have strived to be as accurate as possible by turning to photo albums and articles, and by interviewing family members and some characters in the story.

For events where I could not substantiate detail, Ive reconstructed some dialogue based on my memory, knowing that each time we remember something, we alter our perspective slightly.

The stories in these pages are recollections and interpretations of events that shaped my life over many years. I understand that other people may recall things differently and have their own perspective of certain events.

For privacy, the following names are pseudonyms in the book: Sister Second, Brother Fourth, Sister Fifth, Koi, and Jamie.

Ive been told that, though Im only 49, my story is immenseso Im now sharing it with the world. With you. Several anthologies and a documentary that aired on PBS have profiled my harrowing journey as a child refugee who went on to live the American Dream.

But Ive only told part of my story. Until now.

Ive written my memoir because the world desperately needs more stories about tolerance, unity, and how to work together for a common good.

Ive also written my memoir because my story isnt much different than the story of the many millions of other refugees whove fled, or are fleeing, their countries for safety and opportunity.

The soles of my feet still bear the scars of my horrific escape from Vietnamwhere I trudged through the jungles of Cambodia as a child with a group of strangers seeking the land of opportunity: America. My only possessions at the time were two pieces of clothing and a heart filled with hope.

My physician father worked for the US government, and the Communists imprisoned him for doing so when the war ended. To avoid the rest of our family meeting the same fate, my quick-witted mother bribed a driver to put us on a bus headed for Saigon.