This historical fiction novel depicts a great story about relationships between strangers who became lifelong friends and family during the turmoil of the Vietnam War. Ger, barely a teen, after a brief English language training became a soldier for the CIA's secret front across the Laotian border in an effort to rescue downed pilots in enemy territory and later suppress the supply trail of the North Vietnamese to their soldiers in the south. The complex issues and relationships of the story provided a clearer understanding of the roles of the Secret Guerilla Unit (predominantly Hmong and Laotian nationals) helped the United States unknowingly to their people back home. The affects of the war on the Hmong were illustrated in a narrative voice that readers can easily identify with.