When the little girl arrives at her new home, the guard at the border takes away a little piece of her name. Then the teacher at her new school takes away the rest. This new home is beautiful, but it’s also scary. She must learn so many things: how to draw, how to read, and how to print in a strange new language. Every day, she works very hard, but will it ever be good enough? Will she ever be good enough? And how can she do all of this without her name?

Based on the true refugee experience of a Vietnamese boat family, The Little Girl illustrates how good intentions have nothing to do with the impact we have on another’s wellbeing, and the painful consequences of having foreign names anglicized for the comfort of those in power.