Dinh Van Binh: Vietnamese Village Boy

This is a story about a 14-year-old Vietnamese boy who lives in a small village near Hanoi. He is befriended by a cousin that is a victim of Agent Orange. They bond on a fishing trip and subsequently have many exciting excursions. A trip with their families takes them to see caves as they traverse a river that flows through several limestone mountains.
Subsequently they travel to Hanoi and visit Friendship Village, home of many victims of Agent Orange. They meet the Director of the Village and learn in depth about the impact of Agent Orange. While enroute home Nguyen's father tells the boys about some of the family and their harrowing boat escape from Vietnam in the early 1980?s.
Another trip takes them to Sapa and the mountains of northern Vietnam where they meet hill tribe people. Returning home from Sapa Binh has the opportunity to explain his school subjects to an American that accompanied him on the visit. This discussion gives the reader an insight and appreciation of the education system in Vietnam as seen by a 14-year-old boy.
Finally, Binh accompanies his new American friend on a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels bringing about a most unexpected finish to the book.
Binh, the main character, in addition to attending school, works with his family in their rice field and at home as a smithy.