A Year Without Home is a powerful and emotional novel in verse that tells the story of a young girl forced to leave everything she loves behind. In A Year Without Home, readers follow eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, a Hmong girl whose understanding of “home” is shaped by family, tradition, and the natural beauty of her surroundings.

As foreign troops withdraw from the Vietnam War, danger grows for families who were seen as allies. Gao Sheng’s family faces uncertainty and fear, forcing them to flee their homeland in search of safety. The journey that follows is filled with hardship, displacement, and the painful feeling of not belonging anywhere.

Through heartfelt poetry, A Year Without Home explores themes of loss, resilience, identity, and hope. Gao Sheng must learn what “home” truly means when the place she once knew is no longer within reach. The story gently reminds readers that home is not only a location, but also the love, strength, and memories we carry within us.