The Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library will host author Claudia Krich in person for a book talk on “Those Who Stayed: A Vietnam Diary” on Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. in the Blanchard Room. The event is free and open to the public.

By the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, nearly all Americans and thousands of terrified Vietnamese had left the country, fearing the repercussions of a Communist takeover. However, Krich and a small group of humanitarian aid volunteers chose to stay. Without weapons, protective barriers, or any guarantee of safety, they remained in Vietnam to witness firsthand what would happen next.Krich was co-director of the American Friends Service Committee medical humanitarian program in Vietnam from early 1973 until July 1975. Those Who Stayed is her personal firsthand account of the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, the end of the war and life under the newly established Provisional Revolutionary Government.

Among the few Americans who stayed behind, Krich was the only one who kept a journal. In Those Who Stayed, she shares vivid impressions of those intense, historic days, capturing the uncertainty, fear, and pivotal moments as North Vietnamese soldiers arrived. Weaving personal experiences with major historic events, her book offers an extraordinary perspective on a defining moment in history.

A longtime Davis resident, Krich has been an active member of the community since 1990. She taught in the Spanish Immersion program as well as in the English program and directed the Willett Elementary School Chorus for 15 years. She received the Certificate of Recognition in Education Award in 1995 and the Harmony in Our Lives Award in 2010. She retired from teaching in 2010 and from the chorus in 2016.

According to a Yolo County press release, the book talk will take place on the exact day the war ended fifty years ago, April 30, 1975. Krich will share experiences and photos at this event.

For more information, please visit https://events.yolocountylibrary.org/event/14264670.

Book sales and signing will be available. Payment options include credit card, check and touch pay (Apple and Google Pay).