Beautiful. I loved the framing of the storytelling within food. I loved the way Pham evokes powerful memories and moments in such a spare and impactful way. It's a glorious example of show-don't-tell -- he shows us struggle; he shows us kindness; he shows us identity conflicts and language and cultural displacement. Really stellar book. Also, I totally love that he's giving Gene Yang a hard time -- Thien's sense of humor is delightful. ( )

Gr 9 Up—Pham’s memoir entwines food with memory as he recounts his journey from Vietnam to America. Told
with humor and heart, his life story from childhood through adulthood shines a light on the challenges and joys of his
immigrant experience. Evocative art adds warmth and emotion.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher of First Second Books, and the author Thien Pham for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I don't think having food as chapters or scenes to transition from one time to another was necessary. There could be deeper connections to be made and different ways to make transitions. I appreciated Pham's art style as I found it cute. I also appreciated the amount of details of everyday life spent in the refugee camps. The aspect of refugee camps tends to be seen as transitionary and often less spoken about as opposed to assimilating to America. I wish more works spent more time in the refugee process. ( )

Through the framework of food (Vietnamese and American), Thien Pham recounts his family's perilous journey fleeing Vietnam, staying in a refugee camp, and eventually settling in San Jose, CA, thanks to sponsorship. As with all immigrant stories, the family struggled in a new culture and country but fortunately there were others in the community who could guide them. The parents worked dawn to dusk at manual labor, eventually saving up enough to buy and run a bakery and later a video rental store. Meanwhile Thien grows up fairly Americanized, even losing some of his Vietnamese language skills. The book closes with Thien interviewing his parents about their experiences so he could write this very book. The mom is the fierce heart of the story, the one who dared to dream for better for her loved ones. Tender, funny, and heartfelt. ( )

An engaging look at a family fleeing Vietnam in the wake of the war, enduring a refugee camp in Thailand, and resettling in the United States. As the author traces his life from five to forty-one, the author reflects on how hard it was to fit in, his regrets about assimilating too much, and how appalled he is at recent political movements built around fearmongering against refugees and immigrants.

Throughout the tale, his mother steals the show with her resourcefulness and determination. What a woman!

Aimed at younger readers, I feel the book could have provided them a little more context for the events that led to his family's trek and the years that events in the story occurred.

(Best of 2023 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one of more of these lists:
• Washington Post
• NPR's Books We Love 2023: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made both lists.)

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 1. Rice and Fish -- Chapter 2. Bánh Cuốn -- Chapter 3. Steak and Potatoes -- Chapter 4.Strawberries and Potato Chips -- Chapter 5. Salisbury Steak -- Chapter 6. Ham and Cheese Croissant -- Chapter 7. Cơm Tấm Đặc Biệt -- Chapter 8. Rice and Fish -- Endnotes ( )