I didn’t experience it as an emotional book but I can see how it might be impactful, particularly for readers who know little about the history of VietNam under French rule or who come to it with a Western-centric view.ĭid you think it was great or memorable? Was the art important to your experience? Were there parts of the story where the illustrations were more impactful for you? Sell the book for what it is and what it excels at. You’ve reminded me that that marketing line is one of my irritants. Disappointments, hunger, the need to survive? Yes. Zero heartbreak here, so no healing either, in part because notwithstanding the dark times and the possibilities of tragedy, the one lost child was the only heartbreak the characters experienced, IMO. Yes to the first question, although I had hoped for more substance on the relationships. That was mostly about the war, and even that is." I didn't know much about Vietnam, other than what little they taught us in US History. Mod Kristin wrote: "I read the book on and off yesterday, finishing it last night. The discussion this month will be led by Kristin The Best We Could Do is her debut graphic novel. Bui lives in Berkeley, California, with her son, her husband, and her mother. She studied art and law and thought about becoming a civil rights lawyer, but became a public school teacher instead.
Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States as a child. 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. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. 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.Īt 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. This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Hi all, this is the thread for our June read, The Best We Could Do by Thi BuiĪn intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam from debut author Thi Bui.
0 kommentar(er)
