Houston – Jamie Jo Hoang’s debut novel, My Father, the Panda Killer , introduced readers to a Vietnamese American family still living with the echoes of a war that ended decades ago. Now, the Houston-based author is expanding that world with her new companion novel, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser.

The story moves between two timelines: Vietnam in 1975 and a California home in 2008. The book explores how fear, displacement, and resilience ripple through generations. As the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War is commemorated this year, Hoang is using fiction to shine a light on trauma and identity that were often left unspoken in families like hers.

Phuong Ha, associate director of education and outreach at Asia Society Texas , moderated Hoang’s book event at Blue Willow Bo

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