Review: "A Year Without Home" by V.T. Bidania

A Year Without Home by V.T. Bidania
Published January 2026 via Nancy Paulsen Books
★★★★

1970s Laos: Home is the only place Gao Sheng has ever wanted to be—but with the end of the Vietnam War and the withdrawal of the American troops comes a different kind of instability, and her family has no choice but to flee.

A Year Without Home is a fictionalized version of Bidania's family's story, told from the perspective of her older sister. Despite the dramatic setting and context (to say nothing of near misses), it's a relatively quiet story; Gao Sheng and her family are incredibly fortunate (insofar as one can be fortunate while also having to flee one's home) to get out before things get even worse, but "fortunate" still means living in various refugee camps with very little agency and very few opportunities and, sometimes, not so much as a roof over their heads.

This is middle grade, but I think it might work just as well or better for YA readers who are interested in something that's largely romance-free. Gao Sheng has so much more to worry about than an eleven-year-old should have to consider, but there are lots of details in here to pique the curiosity. The discussion of refugee camps also feels very topical—that is, perhaps it's never not been topical, but it's still a timely reminder that many refugee accommodations and options are no better (and often worse) than they are for Gao Sheng and her family in the 70s.

A fast read and a thoughtful one.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.