Several classmates are recommending The Lotus and the Storm, 2014, as a common read and discussion focus. The author, Lan Cao '83, was born in Vietnam in 1961, grew up in Connecticut, and after Mount Holyoke graduated from Yale Law School. Nancy Welker met Lan who, along with Nancy,  gave the Alumnae Association address at the 2024 Commencement.

Nancy writes: "I shared with Lan the responsibility of giving the Alum address at last year's Commencement. I had the opportunity to hear her amazing story directly the night before.  At 14 on the eve of the fall of Saigon her parents put her on a plane to America, alone and with no English. I'm sure her personal story colors the book tremendously.... Lan is a remarkable person---another strong Mount Holyoke Woman."

Buzz '63 in the forum Great Reads is a good place to put your comments about The Lotus and the Storm as well as other books you are enjoying reading.