Only The Heart is a novel written by Brian Caswell

Brian Caswell

-Biography:Brian Caswell was born in a village called Gwernaffield in Wales,on the 13th of January, 1954. His family moved to England, when he was 5 years old. At the age of 12, in 1966, Caswell's family moved to Australia. He received a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education, and graduated...

 and David Phu An Chiem about the Vietnamese boat people. It was first published in 1997. In contrast to Caswell's mainly futuristic style, such as his widely acclaimed Deucalion

Deucalion (novel)

Deucalion is a 1995 young-adult science fiction novel by Brian Caswell. It follows the story of many settlers who have travelled across space to build a new future on the planet Deucalion...

 series, this book is written in the present-past style. The book is said to be based on David's life. The book is classified as young adult fiction and is one of the most successful books by the author.

Plot summary

The main character for this story is a boy named Toan. The book jumps from the past, when Toan is only six years old, to the present, when he is in his teens. The book is mainly written in first person, Toan's and his older cousin's, Linh's point of view.

This book is about the Vietnam war

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, and the problems and hardships the Vietnamese people faced while trying to escape their war stricken country.
During the book, Toan and his family escape Vietnam, on a boat. They become part of the first wave of boat people

Boat people

Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...

. During the boat trip, Phuong (Toan's cousin) is almost captured by sea pirates, but her mother saves her from sex with him, by offering herself, in fair exchange and sacrifice for the safety of Phuong. She is taken away and never seen by her family again. This was not her fault however, this was forced upon her through the Vietnam gangs.
When the family makes it to Malaysia, the Malaysian people try to send them back, but they destroy the ship, forcing everyone to go overboard. Toan almost drowns.
When they make it to Malaysia, they are on a list waiting to be transferred to another country so they can be safe from the war in Vietnam. After being late for their time to leave, Toan's father takes matters into his own hands. They escape from their "home" and chase after the dream for a better life for their family. They end up in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

This novel is filled with hope. It shows the inside of Vietnam, the way people feel about the war and the experiences that were experienced, that caused the Vietnamese people

Vietnamese people

The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...

to become stronger. Only the heart is filled with hope, desolation and a dream. A dream for a better future... of freedom.