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alexm_20's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
A cute(ish) memoir with food chapter names. I enjoyed this because it was from a different perspective than normal.
mollz235's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Cool art style. Loved the family and the way the story was broken up by food. Would've liked more development especially in the second half, though it makes me want to learn more about the Vietnam War.
kapulaga's review against another edition
5.0
Thien Pham's journey about being a refugee from Vietnam to America through foods he still remembers the taste.
So much to think about in this book. I couldn't imagine the anxiety and fear they had traveled by rusty boat to a refugee camp and had to work and study days and nights.
He tells what it feels like being a firstborn immigrant child—having to take your sibling(s) because your parents are too busy surviving, erasure of the mother language I guess just to fit in, the scene where he fell asleep in front of a TV when his mom late from work, not feeling Vietnamese enough, etc.
The art is simple and moving. The story took place where the foods are remembered and it's in his different state of life. I like it so much. Thank you for telling the story.
So much to think about in this book. I couldn't imagine the anxiety and fear they had traveled by rusty boat to a refugee camp and had to work and study days and nights.
He tells what it feels like being a firstborn immigrant child—having to take your sibling(s) because your parents are too busy surviving, erasure of the mother language I guess just to fit in, the scene where he fell asleep in front of a TV when his mom late from work, not feeling Vietnamese enough, etc.
The art is simple and moving. The story took place where the foods are remembered and it's in his different state of life. I like it so much. Thank you for telling the story.
minhjngo's review
3.0
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.