Behind the Ivy - Summer 2018

SUMMER ISSUE |  BEHIND THE IVY

A N A F T E R N O O N W I T H AU T H O R K I M T H Ú Y I SABELLA XU

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Grade 12 French classes meet author Kim Thúy. Photo Susan Pink

Usually, students dread mandatory reading for classes. But I think it’s safe to say that Ru is not one of those books that students dread reading. Personally, reading Ru twice for school (in two consecutive years, in English and French), certainly did not feel like a chore. Ru paints the story of the experience of An Tinh, a Vietnamese girl, and her family, as they make their way from Vietnam to Malaysia to Québec.

Although the story is based on Kim Thúy’s own experiences as a boat person and refugee after the Vietnam War, Ru also touches upon more universal themes such as parental love, community, and poverty. Perhaps the one thing more remarkable than Ru is Kim Thúy herself, and how down to earth she is. I had the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak during her April visit to Havergal,

where French students spent the morning in conversation with her in the EK, and then English students had the same opportunity in the afternoon. Kim Thúy is one of those people who is just naturally funny. That, and her incredible humility, makes Ms. Thúy seem less like a world-renowned author and more like a friend. In fact, having gotten so used to analyzing Kim Thúy’s work in class, it was