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Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir | Thi Bui
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."
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Sharpeipup
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Collect all the genres!

Soubhiville Nice! That‘s the way I like to read too. A healthy variety. 🙂📚 14mo
35 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
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#ImmigrantMC One that‘s been lingering on my TBR for ages. #BookBinge @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks good 😊 1y
lauraisntwilder This one is so good. 1y
Eggs Sounds so good 💔 1y
Leftcoastzen It is really good! Glad to see this pick. 1y
52 likes4 comments
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Smrloomis
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This is of course the absolute least of their worries but it‘s still so sad. It‘s 1975 and Saigon is now under Communist control and her family is trying to figure out how to survive…

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Rachel.Rencher
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Had a distance learning snow day today. I've been working for 12 hours straight and I feel a bit loopy. 🥸

Time to fall into a book.

vivastory I thought this book was brilliant. It def cemented graphic memoirs as one of my fave genres. 2y
LeslieO Distance learning snow days really ruin the whole snow day concept! 2y
See All 6 Comments
Rachel.Rencher @LeslieO You're tellin' me 😮‍💨 We've had 6 virtual days this year, not one real snow day. 2y
SaunteringVaguelyDownwards That's why our community college faculty universally voted to not do remote days in lieu of snow days (though more realistically because our in-person students aren't guaranteed to have internet access or laptops). 2y
Rachel.Rencher @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards See I know a few of my students do not have internet at home and I've spoken up about the inequity, but it was never put to a vote. 😕 2y
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LibrarianRyan
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Pickpick

4 ⭐ This graphic novel is both heartbreaking and contemplative. Its the story of a modern family both past and present, and the difference in life between two mothers. The author gives us the true accounts of her, her mom, her dad, brother sisters, and how it correlates to the life that she lives now. This graphic memoir has been chosen as an NEA big read book for this year, and after reading it, I understand why.

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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

Powerful and moving with beautiful illustrations.

Book 1/3 for #JoysofJune (my #ReadMyOwnDamnBook book)

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 2y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

This was the perfect medium to tell this story. I really like nonfiction graphic novels, they can express so much, and the use of color (or lack of) throughout this story is highly impactful.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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"I read Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, all the authors of the era"
I always find it fun when you are reading 2 books and one of them (or the author) is mentioned in the other ?

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Kenyazero
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Pickpick

A gorgeous artwork reflecting on lives torn apart by war. Thi Bui examines how war and political upheaval impacted her parents throughout their whole lives, shows her family‘s harrowing escape from communist forces in Vietnam, and recounts the struggles they faced as refugees in America. Content warnings for war, death, child and infant death, difficult pregnancy, PTSD, racism, and other difficult content. #GraphicMemoir #Nonfiction #Vietnam

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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June #bookspinbingo board!

Love a clean board! Excited to see what this month brings.
@thearomaofbooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
17 likes1 comment
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kayleigh7747
Pickpick

This is a beautifully crafted graphic memoir that tells the story of a family coming to the US during the Vietnam War. It also tells the story of parents who are doing the best they can, and how their daughter learns how to understand and emphasize when them as an adult.

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MallenNC
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Pickpick

I really like graphic memoirs. Something about having the illustrations makes the story stick with me better. In this book the author shares the story of her parents before and after the war in Vietnam, their immigration to the U.S., and how their experiences affected her life. I thought it was great. Counting for a prompt for #Nonfiction2021 something about immigrants/newcomers

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds like a great read! 3y
24 likes1 comment
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zurazureen
Pickpick

Story about migrant kid who is now a mother who reflect back on her family history back in Vietnam 🇻🇳 And the bittersweet memories of relationship between parents and children, war, survival and growing up

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Catsandbooks
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Pickpick

3.5/5 ⭐️ I found this memoir to be illuminating, but very sad.

#FoodandLit #vietnam

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
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Pickpick

This illustrated memoir follows three generations of a family escaping Vietnam to make a better life for themselves, beyond the struggles of war and Communism. As Thi Bui becomes a mother herself, she begins to wrestle with the emotions and sacrifices of a mother while taking her past role as daughter. The artwork isn't my favorite with simple drawings and a limited color palette, but it is effective in setting the scene.
It's a bit like Maus.

56 likes5 comments
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ChasingOm
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My immersion into Vietnam for #FoodandLit.
I‘ve been SUPER unmotivated to lately, but the tagged book has been on my TBR for years and, as a graphic memoir, I‘m finding it easier to get into. I also read a travel guide, tagged in the comments.

Food is Chao Ga (Rice Soup with Chicken) from Milk Street. I think it needed a little more saltiness for me. 🤔

Texreader I‘ve been trying to find this book. No luck so far 4y
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ChasingOm @Texreader I checked it out through Hoopla, if you have access to that! 4y
ElizaMarie I really enjoyed this book.. it had so much more history than I had expected. Also your soup looks great! Maybe saltines? 4y
Bookworm54 @Texreader I found it on scribd if you have that :) 4y
44 likes6 comments
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This is what a great graphic memoir can be. It shows, through the lens of her own, her parents, and her grandparents lives, the deep schism and trauma the #Vietnam War created in everyday citizens. Bui was very young when she left Saigon for a refugee camp, but the trauma her parents experienced had a deep effect on her childhood. The book tries to answer the above questions in light of the birth of her first child. #foodandlit #readingasia2021

BarbaraBB Is it as good a graphic novel as 4y
kspenmoll Great review! 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB it‘s different. More emotional. But also extremely good. 4y
See All 12 Comments
Megabooks @kspenmoll thank you!! 4y
Librarybelle Great review! 4y
Butterfinger Loved your review. 4y
Texreader Lovely review! 4y
ScientistSam I loved this book, it's fantastic! 4y
Megabooks @ScientistSam it definitely is! 4y
Bookworm54 What a great review! :) 4y
Megabooks @Bookworm54 thank you!! 4y
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eccburnham
Pickpick

Read this for Bham Book Club - good discussion on memoirs! Beautiful book.

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ElizaMarie
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#FoodAndLit #Vietnam @Texreader

Thank you @Butterfinger for recommending this one to me. It was such a beautiful story with such history in it. Much more history than I had known about.

#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaOfBooks

#FabulousFebruary @Andrew65

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 4y
43 likes2 comments
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Daisey
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Pickpick

I don‘t think my noodle bowl turned out quite as impressive looking as a few I‘ve seen and I prefer the pork in banh mi form, but it was fun to try.

The graphic memoir was a wonderful read, and I felt the art portrayed the emotion of the story very well.

#Memoir #Hoopla
#ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #ReadingAsia2021 #FoodAndLit #Vietnam

Butterfinger It looks good to me. 4y
Daisey @Butterfinger It was good, but not quite as good as the sandwich! 4y
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AmyK1
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Pickpick

When Thi‘s son is born she starts thinking about what it means to be a parent. She thinks back to her family‘s life in Vietnam, their escape when she was a child and their new life in America.

This was my first graphic novel and I enjoyed it.
The fruit drink was the only thing I could find specifically from Vietnam in the grocery store. All 4 of us tried it and all thought it was okay. #foodandlit @Butterfinger @Texreader

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Bookworm54
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Pickpick

My first completed read for #Vietnam is this graphic novel.

While adjusting to being a new mother, Thi Bui considers what it takes to be a parent and how impossible it seems to be a parent while still being someone‘s child. She documents the story of her family in Vietnam, and their escape to America where they built a new life for themselves.

A beautiful and raw memoir (but disclaimer, I wasn‘t a huge fan of the art style!)

#FoodAndLit

Butterfinger I enjoyed reading your review. 4y
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ElizaMarie
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I love Pho its so so comforting. I wish I was able to get some chicken or veggie pho today :( I see how that would bring you “home“

#FoodandLit @Butterfinger @Texreader @jb72

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ElizaMarie
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Was able to download this one from Hoopla today. Its pretty gripping so far!

#FoodandLit @Butterfinger @Texreader @jb72

TEArificbooks I am on the waitlist for it 4y
Butterfinger I love the cover. So poignant. 4y
ElizaMarie @mdm139 you are gonna really enjoy it. I am loving it so far. The artwork is so nicely done too! 4y
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Catsandbooks
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Hoping to work through most of these in February ❤️

#FoodandLit #LMPBC #BOTMBacklog

Texreader When I lived in Austin I had a friend we called Sue because we couldn‘t pronounce her first name but her last name was Bui, and she spoke often about her and her family‘s escape from Vietnam. This graphic novel sounds so similar to her experience!! 4y
Catsandbooks @Texreader I'm about halfway through it and it's sad to read about what her family and so many others went through. Very eye opening for me. 4y
Texreader @Catsandbooks There was a girl in my daughter‘s class when they were in elementary whose family escaped from Burma. I recall being told how her family sometimes had to sleep in trees during their trek. 😢 4y
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Catsandbooks @Texreader oh my goodness, that's so awful! My heart goes out to refugees and our immigrants! (edited) 4y
Chrissyreadit I‘m fascinated by Viet Nam now. My entire knowledge has only been about the war. I‘m looking forward to changing that. 4y
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Cinfhen
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Pickpick

Similar to Persepolis, this memoir told through the medium of art is visually impactful. Blending the history of the once French Indochina region, from the 1930‘s until present day, the author/illustrator shares her family‘s personal struggle both in their native home and then once in America. The sepia color drawings really add to the narrative. The author highlights how the pain of trauma is often handed down to the next generations.

Cinfhen I think you‘re gonna like this one @Hestapleton #LiveAndLearn 🤓 4y
Cinfhen You might enjoy it too @Megabooks and @TrishB (edited) 4y
Cinfhen You should consider it for #Vietnam @Librarybelle 💕 4y
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Megabooks It‘s on my shelf! I can see it across the room. 4y
Cinfhen Hahaha @Megabooks 🙌🏻💕Pick it up one day 😘😘 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds good, I‘ve read a few graphic memoirs now and was surprised how well it worked in this medium. 4y
Kalalalatja I already have it Stacked, but your review made me want to stack it again 👌 4y
Hestapleton @Cinfhen it‘s on my January list! 4y
TrishB I‘m rubbish with graphic novels! Hubby has hundreds of them, I don‘t think my brain thinks in pictures. 4y
Addison_Reads I loved this graphic memoir. Great choice. 💚 4y
Librarybelle I think I will consider it! I like your comparison with Persepolis, which I loved! 4y
Caryl Isn‘t this a beautiful book? I want to read it again now! 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Librarybelle my I also suggest the March trilogy by and about John Lewis and 4y
Librarybelle @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I read the first in the March trilogy, and that is definitely another excellent graphic novel! Very moving. 4y
93 likes4 stack adds15 comments
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Cinfhen
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Librarybelle Graphic novels are not my usual reading either 4y
Hestapleton I was JUST debating about starting this one! 4y
BarbaraBB I am thinking of a graphic novel for Iran 4y
Cinfhen This is VERY SIMILAR in style @BarbaraBB 4y
77 likes4 comments
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ShelleyBooksie
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Pickpick

First memoir that I have read in graphic novel format. Very educational and also touching.

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stretchkev
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#20best2020, The Best We Could Do seems thematic given the year that has been 2020. Well the least depressing given the choices.

Hard to read titles include: Fever Dream, The Memory Police, and Timefulness

Thanks for the tag @Graywacke

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ReadingOver50
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Pickpick

Following the birth of her child, a woman begins writing about her parents life in Vietnam and their subsequent immigration to the United States. Told in graphic novel form, the story is compelling. I knew just the barest facts about the recent history of Vietnam. This book really opened my eyes. Her parents lives were fascinating.

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mklong
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Hey there #LMPBC friends! What do you all think of these three choices? @REPollock @cwarnier @LibrarianRyan

LibrarianRyan I've read Nimona and it's cute. I have wanted to do Monsters and have even checked it out and just never gotten to it in time. 4y
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Verity I really liked Nimona, haven‘t read the other two. 4y
REPollock Haven‘t read any of them & they all look good! 4y
cwarnier I am game for any of them. I have not read any as of now. Nimona looks interesting. 4y
LibrarianRyan Hello. I was wondering if you had chosen yet? 4y
mklong @LibrarianRyan Hey there. Since you have read Nimona already, I think I‘ll go with My Favorite Thing is Monsters. Looking forward to it! @REPollock @cwarnier 4y
LibrarianRyan @mklong That is awesome!. Thanks for letting me know.

And for the group @REpollock @cWarner I was in office Depot yesterday and they now make a transparent post it. so you can see what is underneath. I bought some for my book.
4y
mklong @librarianryan How cool! 4y
37 likes10 comments
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TheBookDream
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Pickpick

A memoir of a woman who fled Vietnam as a child, looking into her family‘s past and pondering how it affected them. Beautiful 😭 #hoopla

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erzascarletbookgasm
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Pickpick

This is a #ownvoices personal story but it‘s so much more than just a family‘s journey from war-torn Vietnam to the US in the 70s. Every immigrant story is about real people & this memoir captures how the trauma & shadows of the past never really leave any immigrants, in many cases, are pass on to the next generation. It also provides a glimpse into a historical background from the French colonial rule over IndoChina 🔽

erzascarletbookgasm (cont.) to events that lead to the Vietnam War, & its aftermath. Though haunting, devastating, it offers flickers of hope for a better future for the family. 4y
Kalalalatja Great review! 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Thanks Katja! Hope you‘re doing well. @Kalalalatja 4y
Kalalalatja I‘m doing okay, just taking everything a day at a time 😊 how about Jessie, you doing okay? 4y
erzascarletbookgasm @Kalalalatja Some days are stressful, but I‘m escaping into books. Books and Litsy make me hang in there. Take care, friend. 💕 4y
74 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Twocougs
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Pickpick

It‘s important for me to read a book like this every so often to remind myself how lucky I am. Life during war, having to flee your home and settle in a whole new country- we need to honor these people and their experiences.

charl08 Yes. Powerful read. 5y
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maleahrae
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Just realized I never posted this!!
Millennial Author: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Hat/Head Covering: My Sister the Serial Killer
Subject New to Me: One of Us
Set in Hollywood: Shopaholic to the the Stars
#covercrush: Prognosis
Finish in a Day: The Best We Could Do

#booked2020 #winter
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen

Cinfhen We already picked our first quarter winner so I‘ll carry these over for the #SpringDrawing (end of June) 😁 5y
Cinfhen Congrats 🎉 This is your (other) #OfficialSpringEntry for #Booked2020 🌻🌈💕📚 4y
42 likes2 comments
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UnabridgedPod
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Pickpick

Thi Bui's gorgeous graphic memoir The Best We Could Do is an exploration of her family history and of her own identity. Born in Vietnam, Thi immigrates to the United States with her parents and her three siblings. Upon the birth of her first child, Thi is moved to understand her own life as the child of her parents so that she can better understand her new identity as a parent herself.⠀⬇️

UnabridgedPod The book tracks the stories her parents tell, as well as the process of uncovering them, of asking and of listening, of being locked out and of doors into memory being opened. The art is lovely, a subtle and muted wash covering the story, and the story itself is just as lovely. Though each member of her family certainly has cause to hold on to old resentments, this book is ultimately about grace, empathy, understanding, and forgiveness. ⬇️ 5y
UnabridgedPod It's a book of history, covering the situation in Vietnam back to the 1930s, and a book about dreams and realities. I could not have loved it more.⠀

What are some of your favorite memoirs? Any favorite graphic memoirs?
5y
28 likes2 comments
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alisonrose
Pickpick

As with other graphic memoirs I‘ve read recently, I think this was the perfect medium to tell her story. The combination of the words and artwork and colors made it so immediate and gripping. I learned a lot from this too, way more than you learn in American schools about this war. Did struggle a bit with how the timeline moved around and wish there was more from their life in the states. But overall very poignant and important. 4/5 ⭐️

Leftcoastzen I found it so heartfelt. 5y
28 likes1 comment
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alisonrose
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Decided to pick up another graphic memoir, and definitely wanted to read this on a weekend because it‘s oddly heavy! It‘s 329 pages but I guess because of the type of paper used in a graphic work versus a regular book, it adds a lot more heft. 💪🏻 #nowreading

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librarygoddess619
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A moving story of a family's immigration to America from Vietnam during the Vietnam war era. I heard the author speak about this graphic novel several years ago at Comic-Con International and have been wanting to read it ever since. This was a library read.

Leftcoastzen I was so moved by this book. 5y
librarygoddess619 @Leftcoastzen me, too. I was surprised by it's power, considering it's format. I guess I shouldn't be... there are a lot of moving graphic novels, but wow this was a good one! 😁 5y
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QueenG
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Pickpick

ʙᴏᴏᴋ #𝟣𝟧 ᴏғ 𝟤0𝟤0 ✨. ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴄᴜsᴛᴏᴍᴇʀ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ɪᴛ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɢᴏ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ‘ᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ ʏᴇᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɴᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ. 📚✔️ ɪᴛ‘s ᴀʟsᴏ ᴍʏ ғɪʀsᴛ ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ.

#thebestwecoulddo #thibui #graphicnovel #excited #2020 #15

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maleahrae
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This was a quick read, but impactful. I didn't know graphic novels could be like this. I want to read more! I loved the illustrations and how at times they told the story with no words. Highly recommend!
#booked2020 Finish in a Day
#readharder Graphic Memoir
#litsyatoz B
@barbarathebibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen

Cinfhen I‘ve heard this GN is really well done 💙must check it out 😃 5y
45 likes1 comment
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ScientistSam
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Pickpick

This is both beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, narrating the story of the author's family's time in Vietnam and flight to the US as refugees. It's also a moving exploration of the relationship between parents and children, and how we view and define each other.

5⭐ Highly recommended

la_rose_noire Thanks for sharing. Just added it to my stack! 5y
Crazeedi Nice review, sounds good! 5y
ScientistSam Thanks @la_rose_noire @Crazeedi hope you enjoy it if you get to it! 5y
Crazeedi @ScientistSam you said the magic words, if I can get to it, lol 5y
58 likes1 stack add4 comments
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JanuarieTimewalker13
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Pickpick

I absolutely LOVED this graphic memoir!!! Family saga starting in Vietnam, then on to boat to Malaysian refugee camp and finally, to America. All the trials and tribulations of living in a war torn country and the emotional scars from that. Great debut!

Leftcoastzen I loved it too. 5y
NeedsMoreBooks Loved this 💕 5y
ju.ca.no Sounds great🤩 5y
JanuarieTimewalker13 @Leftcoastzen I think I owe you thanks...pretty sure it was your post that made me request it from the library!!📚❤️ 5y
54 likes4 comments
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JanuarieTimewalker13
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Coffee with condensed milk and opium? Uhmmm, never saw that at Starbucks. Lol. I LOVE graphic memoirs. This specific graphic is in Saigon.

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Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

I learned a lot about the Vietnamese to immigrant experience as the author investigates her family history,warts and all.Beautifully drawn.Her family does the best it can under difficult circumstances,hence the appropriate title.Highly recommended.

NeedsMoreBooks Read this a few days back. Tragic and beautiful 5y
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NeedsMoreBooks
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Pickpick

Bui chronicles the story of how her parents left Vietnam in 1978 for the US. It is stark because of the colors used in the panels- shades of black, white, and dull red. Despite being a memoir, it also shows Vietnam‘s history: how her parents grew, her grandparents‘ stories, the political situation, and the trauma associate with war, displacement, being a refugee, and how the past lives on. #NFNov #graphicnovel

Clwojick Another one that's been on my radar for a while. I love a good NF Graphic. Thanks for reminding me about it. 6pt. 5y
NeedsMoreBooks @Clwojick you are most welcome and thank you! 5y
22 likes2 comments