Le Ly Hayslip is a Vietnamese-American writer, memoirist, and humanitarian, known for her work in rebuilding cultural bridges between Vietnam and the United States following the Vietnam War. Born in Ky La village, Vietnam, she endured a tumultuous childhood marked by war and personal hardship. At 12, American helicopters landed in her village, and at 14, she was tortured in a South Vietnamese prison for her "revolutionary sympathies."
After fleeing to Saigon, Hayslip worked in various jobs, including as a prostitute and drug courier, before marrying American contractor Ed Munro in 1969. Following his death, she married Dennis Hayslip, though this second marriage was troubled by domestic violence.
Hayslip's memoirs, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places (1989) and Child of War, Woman of Peace (1993), recount her experiences in Vietnam and the challenges of adapting to American life. She founded the East Meets West Foundation, a charitable organization focused on improving health and welfare in Vietnam. In 1995, she received the California State Assembly award for her humanitarian efforts. Her life was adapted into the 1993 film Heaven & Earth, directed by Oliver Stone, where she made a cameo appearance.