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Crossing the Bamboo Bridge - Memoirs of a Bad Luck Girl

An inspirational tale of courage and triumph against all odds.

Praise & Reviews

for Crossing the Bamboo Bridge - Memoirs of a Bad Luck Girl


  • A captivating story of a young Vietnamese girl who resisted all odds and realized a true American dream. Movies are made about women like Mai Donohue.
    Chris Morrow, Co-author of NY Times Bestsellers "Do You," "Super Rich," and "Take Back Your Family"
  • Mai Donohue weaves together a wrenching tale of poverty, rebellion, enterprise and unwavering tenacity. Set against the backdrop of a rural hamlet in Central Vietnam and the urban swagger of a wartime, 1960's Saigon, this is an uplifting story of survival and, ultimately, the power of love.
    SanSan Kwan, PhD, Assoc. Prof/UC-Berkeley, and Author of "Kinesthetic City"
  • It's not fashionable to say, but I happen to think there are too many unearned memoirs being churned out these days. Mai Donohue's breathless, riveting journey, from being a child bride in an impoverished Vietnamese village to a middle class mother of six in a wealthy American suburb, is astounding and inspiring, a true tale of survival against incredible odds. Her experiences are searing, but matter-of-factly told and I couldn't stop reading about them. This is a memoir from someone who's earned the right to have one, a hundred times over.
    Lauren Iannotti, Executive Editor, Rachael Ray Every Day
  • Through Mai Donohue's riveting memoir we experience the French and American Vietnam Wars-- the barbarous tactics of the Communists and others, the family divisions, the degrading treatment of women and much more. Forced into a brutal marriage as a young teenager, Mai narrowly escapes to South Vietnam after several failed efforts. Through enormous courage and ingenuity, Mai manages to carve out a life for herself during the peak years of the American Vietnam War. It is a story of survival against insurmountable odds but it is also a story of love and hope.
    Gerry Tyler, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Rhode Island
  • Mai Donohue's amazing story of war, survival and love conquering all is an inspiration. We never tire of Mai's stories and life lessons, learned the hard way.”
    Marty & Porter Halyburton (former POW in North Vietnam)
  • I read this book in a single sitting and since then have used it as a personal day to day tool to take measure of what’s really important.
    Molly Schiot, author of “Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History”