Elaine+Russell

//"Truth is an illusion. It is only something we create from memories and wishes and fragments of dreams. The truth is what we want to believe. And sometimes lies are so essential they become part of the truth."// From prologue of Across the Mekong River

Elaine Russell worked as a Resource Economist and Environmental Consultant for 22 years before beginning to write fiction for adults and children. She became inspired and actively involved with the Hmong immigrant community after meeting Hmong children in her son’s school in Sacramento and reading Anne Fadiman’s //The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down//. Since then she has been to Laos many times to research her book and as a member of the non-government organization Legacies of War.


 * A few of Elaine's resources: **
 * Elaine Russell's Website - Includes many resources on the Secret War in addition to Elaine's books.
 * Legacies of War - Legacies of War is the leading U.S.-based educational and advocacy organization working to address the impact of conflict in Laos during the Vietnam War-era, including removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Be sure to read Elaine's article: Cluster Bombs in Laos.
 * “Laos -- Living with Unexploded Ordnance: Past Memories and Present Realities” . In: Vatthana Pholsena & Oliver Tappe (eds.), Interactions with a Violent Past: Reading Post-Conflict Landscapes in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam - Article by Elaine Russell.

Bonus Resource - Just for Crossing Lines participants -