Thuy Rocco, author of “The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir”

Posted March 08, 2022 by Monica Hoel

Nashville native Thuy Nguyen Rocco had never travelled the world until she came to Emory & Henry; and yet, she spent her first days in this world as an international refugee.

Thuy was born in Vietnam in 1980. Her family had helped the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, so when the United States left it became crucial for people like Thuy’s family to leave the country. “We were considered traitors, so it would have been a death sentence to stay in Vietnam.”

But leaving wasn’t easy. Those wishing to leave had to know the right connections, they had to have money, and they had to avoid imprisonment and death.

Thuy’s family found an opportunity to leave, by boat, but they had a particularly difficult decision to make. Thuy’s mom was pregnant, with her, and couldn’t possibly make the difficult trip by boat. Her father didn’t want to leave part of the family behind, but he also didn’t want to miss the chance to get even part of his family to safety. So, Thuy’s father, her two brothers, her sister, and an aunt who spoke English left by boat to escape the death-sentence of staying in their home country.

But the boat capsized. Thuy’s father, aunt and all siblings died. Thuy’s mother was faced with having to deal with her grief while also giving birth to a child in a country where she knew they weren’t safe.

Thuy has written a book at this experience called The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir that tells of the harrowing experiences of her early childhood and her mother’s commitment to getting them to safer shores. “It took my mother seven tries to escape Vietnam, and she was imprisoned more than once for attempting to leave.”

Thuy remembers part of the escape journey – being terrified of getting caught and having to hide under mounds of fish on a fishing ferry. “I was only 1 or 2 years old. And sometimes we got caught trying to escape because I would cry.”

She also remembers being in the refugee camps along the way – where they didn’t have enough to eat, drank dirty water, and slept so close together with other families that illnesses passed easily and quickly. “A lot of kids didn’t survive the refugee camps.”

It was more than 30 years after these experiences that Thuy summoned the courage to write about what she and her mother had survived. She hoped that telling her story would provide an avenue of understanding for those who had never experienced such hardship; and she hoped it would offer strength and reassurance to others who had.

“When the book first came out, it got a lot of media attention and I got to do a lot of prestigious, high profile events; but my favorite moments were one-on-one conversations with young immigrants and refugees who said, ‘I know your story because I lived it. Thank you for sharing your story so I wouldn’t feel like the only one in the world.” She now leads workshops to help other refugees write their own stories.

Thuy encourages us to use local booksellers to order her book The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir. You can enjoy an extended conversation with Thuy on the Duck Pond Wall podcast, and her on-campus Lyceum talk will be at 7:30 pm on March 14, 2022.

Open gallery

Thuy Nguyen Rocco
E&H Class of 2002
“Author, consultant, activist, polyglot, martial artist, iron cook, life-long learner, teacher, storyteller”

More News

<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG" alt="Marsha Wagoner at Farmer's Hardware in Sparta, NC." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset">Marsha Wagoner: Kayaking into the sunset??</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> After 80 years in business, Farmer’s Hardware in Sparta is saying goodnight. <a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2373-jimmy-lawrence-retires-from-virginia-tech-after-40"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.jpg" alt="Jimmy Lawrence Emory & Henry Class of 1979" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/11404_Lawrence_J_17MS_da_DK_1097E.rev.1655251680.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2373-jimmy-lawrence-retires-from-virginia-tech-after-40">Jimmy Lawrence Retires from Virginia Tech After 40 Years</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Jimmy Lawrence has just retired from a 40-year career as an athletic trainer for Virginia Tech, and he says there’s one experience that he has loved more than any other. <a href="/live/news/2373-jimmy-lawrence-retires-from-virginia-tech-after-40" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/295-perfect-harmony"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/604,99,923,417/3305_Carolinas_Mixed_Quartet_Champions.rev.1518801465.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/604,99,923,417/3305_Carolinas_Mixed_Quartet_Champions.rev.1518801465.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/604,99,923,417/3305_Carolinas_Mixed_Quartet_Champions.rev.1518801465.jpg" alt="Carolinas Mixed Quartet Champions" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="319" data-max-h="318" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/295-perfect-harmony">Perfect Harmony!</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Warren Fuson’s (E&H ’73) quartet just won a big competition! Give a listen! <a href="/live/news/295-perfect-harmony" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1624-remembering-dr-samir-saliba"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,177,194/9360_samir_2.rev.1612295659.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,177,194/9360_samir_2.rev.1612295659.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,177,194/9360_samir_2.rev.1612295659.jpg" alt="Dr, Samir Saliba, Emory & Henry Faculty Emeritus" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="177" data-max-h="194" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1624-remembering-dr-samir-saliba">Remembering Dr. Samir Saliba</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><strong>Dr. Samir N. Saliba<br/></strong>February 18, 1934 - November 25, 2020</p><a href="/live/news/1624-remembering-dr-samir-saliba" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1642-rob-goldsmith-honored-by-eamph-alumni-association"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,375/8583_Rob_Goldsmith.rev.1601414046.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,375/8583_Rob_Goldsmith.rev.1601414046.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,375/8583_Rob_Goldsmith.rev.1601414046.jpg" alt="Rob Goldsmith, E&H '71, CEO of People Inc." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="375" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1642-rob-goldsmith-honored-by-eamph-alumni-association">Rob Goldsmith Honored by E&H Alumni Association</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Rob Goldsmith, Emory & Henry Class of 1971, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Carl and Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award, awarded annually by the Emory & Henry Alumni Association. (<a href="/alumni/get-involved/alumni-awards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more about E&H Alumni Awards.</a>) <a href="/live/news/1642-rob-goldsmith-honored-by-eamph-alumni-association" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/924-eamph-alumna-to-sing-national-anthem-at-bristol"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,624,463/6723_CD_3.rev.1565968008.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,624,463/6723_CD_3.rev.1565968008.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,624,463/6723_CD_3.rev.1565968008.jpg" alt="Christina Druen at the 2018 Food City Race. She's singing the National Anthem for the 2019 race." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="624" data-max-h="463" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/924-eamph-alumna-to-sing-national-anthem-at-bristol">E&H Alumna to Sing National Anthem at Bristol Race This Weekend</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Christina Druen, E&H Class of 2016, will sing Friday night, August 16. <a href="/live/news/924-eamph-alumna-to-sing-national-anthem-at-bristol" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1679-the-trap-of-nostalgia"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.jpg" alt="Morgan Galen King, E&H Class of 2001" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2094,2055/9554_The_Spine_Of_Night_Filmmaker_Morgan_Galen_King.rev.1615991868.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2094" data-max-h="2055" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1679-the-trap-of-nostalgia">“The Trap of Nostalgia”</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Morgan King’s new full-length animated feature is a throw-back to a popular 1980’s classic, but he was careful not to be limited by the past as he created something he wanted to stand up in the present. <a href="/live/news/1679-the-trap-of-nostalgia" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/406-kim-cressell-has-the-greatest-shop-on-earth"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.jpg" alt="Kim Cressell (E&H '93) at The Reserve in Sarasota, Florida." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/560,0,2016,1455/4145_IMG_0071.rev.1525982477.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1456" data-max-h="1455" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/406-kim-cressell-has-the-greatest-shop-on-earth">Kim Cressell has the Greatest Shop on Earth</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> It’s a shop that is far more exciting than retail; but what ARE those red buildings? <a href="/live/news/406-kim-cressell-has-the-greatest-shop-on-earth" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2289-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-emily-bunn"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,382,382/11077_Picture2.rev.1648651634.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,382,382/11077_Picture2.rev.1648651634.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,382,382/11077_Picture2.rev.1648651634.jpg" alt="Austin Bunn E&H Class of 2014" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="382" data-max-h="382" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2289-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-emily-bunn">E&H Mass Comm Student Story: Emily Bunn spotlights Austin Bunn and their shared E&H legacy</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><em>This is part of a series of stories by members of the 2022 E&H Mass Comm 302 Class.<br/><br/></em>Home is where your family is: and for Austin Bunn (’14) that place was his college. <strong><br/><br/></strong> <a href="/live/news/2289-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-emily-bunn" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2031-linda-coutant-is-being-mindful"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg" alt=" Dr. Linda Coutant Emory & Henry Class of 1989 " width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,166,2133,2297/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="2131" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2031-linda-coutant-is-being-mindful">Linda Coutant is Being Mindful</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Linda Coutant, Class of 1989, heard that Appalachian State University (ASU) was aiming to be a “mindful campus,” she felt an electrical jolt go through her whole body. “I felt it on a cellular level.”</span> <a href="/live/news/2031-linda-coutant-is-being-mindful" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2440-gail-weaver-norwood-publishes-escape-from-grief"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.jpg" alt="Gail Weaver Norwood Emory & Henry Class of 1971" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,13,1537,1548/11848_FBS_GailNorwood32.rev.1661365997.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1537" data-max-h="1535" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2440-gail-weaver-norwood-publishes-escape-from-grief">Gail Weaver Norwood Publishes “Escape from Grief Prison: A Story of Love, Loss, and Healing”</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> The title of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailnorwood.com/">Gail Weaver Norwood’s book</a></span> may mislead you. This book is about more than grief; it’s about learning how to manage our emotional well-being in times of challenge.<br/><div></div><div></div><a href="/live/news/2440-gail-weaver-norwood-publishes-escape-from-grief" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2255-emaly-allison-is-a-heritage-interpreterand-tiktok"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,843,958/10962_emaly_allison.rev.1647539235.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,843,958/10962_emaly_allison.rev.1647539235.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,843,958/10962_emaly_allison.rev.1647539235.jpg" alt="Emaly Allison E&H Class of 2019 Heritage Interpreter" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,843,958/10962_emaly_allison.rev.1647539235.jpg 2x" data-max-w="843" data-max-h="958" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2255-emaly-allison-is-a-heritage-interpreterand-tiktok">Emaly Allison is a Heritage Interpreter...and TikTok Star</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Emaly Allison is right where she wants to be: standing on a frozen lake. <a href="/live/news/2255-emaly-allison-is-a-heritage-interpreterand-tiktok" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1809-rotary-frolics-heads-to-the-big-screen"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,49,436,485/9814_A_Frolics.rev.1619615774.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,49,436,485/9814_A_Frolics.rev.1619615774.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,49,436,485/9814_A_Frolics.rev.1619615774.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="436" data-max-h="436" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1809-rotary-frolics-heads-to-the-big-screen">Rotary Frolics Heads to the Big Screen!</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Actually, the REALLY big screen, as they perform this year’s annual Rotary Frolics event at the Moonlite Drive-In in Abingdon. <a href="/live/news/1809-rotary-frolics-heads-to-the-big-screen" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1999-lanisha-howze"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,640/10117_Lanisha_Howze.rev.1630011117.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,640/10117_Lanisha_Howze.rev.1630011117.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,640/10117_Lanisha_Howze.rev.1630011117.jpg" alt="Lanisha Howze Emory & Henry Class of 2004" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,640/10117_Lanisha_Howze.rev.1630011117.jpg 2x" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="640" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1999-lanisha-howze">Lanisha Howze</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s a good thing Lanisha Howze enjoys staying busy.</span> <a href="/live/news/1999-lanisha-howze" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/296-a-st-judes-hero"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,764,812/3319_20180125_123141.rev.1519077228.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,764,812/3319_20180125_123141.rev.1519077228.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,764,812/3319_20180125_123141.rev.1519077228.jpg" alt="Emily Tolley Boyles" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,764,812/3319_20180125_123141.rev.1519077228.jpg 2x" data-max-w="764" data-max-h="764" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/296-a-st-judes-hero">A St. Jude’s Hero</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Emily Tolley Boyles said she’d NEVER run a full marathon. But that was before she met Mighty Max. <a href="/live/news/296-a-st-judes-hero" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>

Thuy Rocco, author of “The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir”

Open gallery

Save & Share:

More News