Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
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Description
2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist
ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection
ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection
An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family¿s journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.
This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family¿s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.
At the heart of Bui¿s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent¿the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.
In what Pulitzer Prize¿winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls ¿a book to break your heart and heal it,¿ The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui¿s journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.
Book Information
Posts
I finished this so quickly, it’s my favorite book so far. I related to this on many levels (my parents being the same age as Thi Bui). I loved how she went through all the phases of her relationship with her parents. Reading this made me realize again how much my parents have been through, growing up during the war and trying to survive in poverty in post-war Vietnam. And how their childhood affects them and how they treated my sister and I—even to this day. I explained and showed some excerpts of this to them. I think it’s a great starter if you’re trying to repair your relationship with your immigrant parents and understand their perspective. I am so grateful to have them and eternally thankful for everything they’ve sacrificed to make me the person I am today. Thanks for creating this masterpiece, Thi! I hope this might come out in a translated version in Vietnamese soon!
Description
2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist
ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection
ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection
An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family¿s journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.
This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family¿s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.
At the heart of Bui¿s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent¿the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.
In what Pulitzer Prize¿winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls ¿a book to break your heart and heal it,¿ The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui¿s journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.
Book Information
Posts
I finished this so quickly, it’s my favorite book so far. I related to this on many levels (my parents being the same age as Thi Bui). I loved how she went through all the phases of her relationship with her parents. Reading this made me realize again how much my parents have been through, growing up during the war and trying to survive in poverty in post-war Vietnam. And how their childhood affects them and how they treated my sister and I—even to this day. I explained and showed some excerpts of this to them. I think it’s a great starter if you’re trying to repair your relationship with your immigrant parents and understand their perspective. I am so grateful to have them and eternally thankful for everything they’ve sacrificed to make me the person I am today. Thanks for creating this masterpiece, Thi! I hope this might come out in a translated version in Vietnamese soon!