The immigrant experience is one in which people travelling from different countries and undertaking diverse risks often feel a kinship between their stories. Some people flee their homes for fear of death, while others journey to a new land in hopes of a better future for their children. Whatever the reason, the passage is frequently difficult, and adapting or assimilating may not be any easier. Ru is the tale of a 10-year-old girl and her family’s immigration to Quebec in the ‘70s. Following the end of the war in Vietnam, many South Vietnamese were persecuted under the new Communist regime, so they fled the country in search of a new home. Telling the story through Tinh’s eyes, it focuses on the concerns of a child rather than the larger, more complex worries of adults. She’s haunted by the memory of death and visibly heartbroken to have left her cousin/best friend in Vietnam. Charles-Olivier Michaud’s adaptation of Kim Thúy’s award-winning novel…maintains the emotions expressed on the page.–Digital Journal