{"product_id":"the-spirit-of-fearless-living","title":"The Spirit of Fearless Living","description":"\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Hmong Journey Through War and Refuge\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKao Choua Vue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAvailable November 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/shop.mnhs.org\/collections\/browse-mnhs-press-titles\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMinnesota Historical Society Press\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn unfiltered, deeply personal account of war and survival as told by the author’s mother—a Hmong woman who endured bombings, famine, and forced displacement during the US Secret War in Laos.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Spirit of Fearless Living\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis a memoir shaped by over fifty hours of oral storytelling between Kao Choua Vue and her mother, Mee Thao—a Hmong refugee who lived through war, exile, and the precarious search for safety in a dangerous world. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBorn in the mountains of Laos, Mee Thao survived the broad devastation of the Vietnam War, escaped government persecution, and lived in Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand before immigrating to the United States with her children in 1986. Her story spans ancestral traditions, wartime survival, addiction and family turmoil, and the layered realities of motherhood in exile. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVue writes through her mother’s eyes, preserving Mee Thao’s voice, memories, and cultural wisdom in a narrative filled with emotional depth and historical insight. Along the way, Vue offers readers a powerful record of Hmong ancestral life and a woman’s survival across landscapes of violence and upheaval. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Spirit of Fearless Living\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis a testament to the enduring power of oral history to carry truth through generations. Rooted in reverence and authenticity, it\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoffers readers a rare, firsthand window into a cultural experience that remains largely untold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKao Choua Vue \u003c\/strong\u003eis a writer and practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism dedicated to preserving Hmong history. A former digital marketer and youth media educator who founded an international Hmong film festival, her work spans storytelling, chaplaincy training, and spiritual practice. She splits her time between Minnesota and Northern California.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"XIA Books \u0026 Café","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67405654917195,"sku":"9781681343471","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0635\/5645\/2427\/files\/VUE_9781681343471_1.webp?v=1793919378","url":"https:\/\/xiabooks.org\/products\/the-spirit-of-fearless-living","provider":"XIA Books \u0026 Café","version":"1.0","type":"link"}