From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Best We Could Do

Thi Bui

Discussion: 2017 Read Harder Challenge

Why we're reading this: Bui's family escaped to the US by boat after the Vietnam War. This beautiful graphic memoir relates their…more
[close] Bui's family escaped to the US by boat after the Vietnam War. This beautiful graphic memoir relates their life before the war and their perilous journey to safety.

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2017 Read Harder Challenge

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What Members Thought

Jan 09, 2018 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir-and-bio, graphic-novel, war-other

Whoa. I read this lengthy graphic novel in two sittings. At first, I wasn't sold. I could sense the intense emotional conflict but didn't feel any personal connection. I put it down for a few days and when I picked it back up, I couldn't put it down. This memoir is heart wrenching and complicated as it explores themes of family, home, and survival. It tells a particular story of the Bui family, but it also tells the universal story of the delicate links between generations and the meaning attach ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2018 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography-memoir, graphic

A memoir in graphic format—a combination that works well here as in other well-received books.

The Bui family escapes from South Vietnam shortly after the end of the war to the United States. This story helped me consider that war from the side of the Vietnamese. Bui uses the birth of her first child as a means of reconnecting with her parents and their struggles.

A few choppy spots, but all-in-all a fine story.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2021 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Graphic novel or comic memoir. Find a physical copy or use an e reader that shows color for the full experience.

I really love and admire the author’s thoughtful and empathetic way of grappling with her identity, family, and experiences.

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