Brookline Resident Publishes Memoir On Her Story As A Refugee

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline resident Mai Kim Le has published her first book, Worlds Apart: My Personal Life Journey Through Transcultural Poverty, Privilege & Passion, to tell her story as an Asian-American refugee who was plunged into a new culture as a child and dared to emerge as a unique presence in an adopted society.

The book, which was first published on September 15 , discusses everything from wanderlust and mental health to love, pain, and culture.

“It’s not just for the Asian community,” said Le. “There are so many things and topics that make you reflect on yourself. I would love for someone to pick up the book to love themself and look at the world from a different lens, just to know what it’s like to be human. And who knows what will happen next."

A wife and mother of three, Le originally wrote the book as a way to connect with her daughter, who was born in the United States and struggled with isolation and teenage changes during the pandemic. Le’s daughter had to approve of the book before it was released to the public.

“Releasing a book like this where you’re so vulnerable to the world is hard, but I hope it will bring us closer,” said Le. “Listening is love, and in a community like Brookline, we often talk over each other instead of truly listening to each other’s stories."

Le first came to the United States from war-torn Vietnam as a child and made her way from Seattle, Washington and Anaheim, California to Lawrence, Massachusetts. She attended Bowdoin College and Princeton University as an adult and spent years overcoming challenges related to her journey and life’s many changes.

“This talks about what it’s like to be thrust into a new environment, assimilate, and survive,” she said. “We all have very similar human struggles. That’s where I’m hoping we can relate to each other.

Worlds Apart is currently available for purchase at Brookline Booksmith. For more information, click here.