The Dancing Lion

Book excerpt: Happiness has always eluded Bill Harris. His teaching job leaves him vaguely dispirited and unfulfilled. To breathe life into his flagging career, he transfers to a new high school, but the decision backfires when his new principal assigns him classes filled with Vietnamese immigrants. When school starts, the students ask Harris to supervise a Vietnamese cultural club. He reluctantly agrees, unaware the decision will change his life. He quickly becomes captivated by his students, spellbound by the beauty of their culture, and often speechless at their fierce loyalty for their parents. He spends long hours helping them prepare a wondrous lunar New Year show. Filled with music, dance, comedy and drama, the show opens with a riveting performance by the Dancing Lion, a terrifying guardian from the palace of a powerful god and ends with The Legend Stone Woman, an ancient story that looks deep into the heart of the Vietnamese way of thinking and illustrates the integrity and strength of the Vietnamese woman. The Dancing Lion describes a year in the life of an American teacher whose life is transformed by his students. It is a touching display of people reaching out to each other across a cultural divide.