Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life

Where Rivers Part is a memoir by Kao Kalia Yang about her mother Tswb's life and her Hmong family's journey to safety. Born in 1961 in Laos during America's Secret War, Tswb experienced violence as the CIA recruited Hmong and other ethnic minorities. When the US withdrew and genocidal attacks began against the Hmong, who were branded as traitors, Tswb and her family fled to the jungle. Facing constant danger and starvation, Tswb met the man who would become her husband and joined his family at a refugee camp, leaving her own mother behind—a decision that affected her deeply. She later became a mother herself, raising her daughters amid fear and hunger until the family emigrated to the United States. As adults, Tswb and her husband enrolled in high school and worked demanding jobs to support their children. Yang tells her mother's story with tenderness and clarity, documenting the experiences of resilient refugees often overlooked in American history.