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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
The legacy of the oral history as the memory book of collective experience is reimagined in this graphic novel. Through the illustrated representations, we get both a heart breaking and uplifting glimpse into the immigrant experience. With nothing left out but still preserving the space between for the imagination to fill in the blanks.
Thi Bui’s account of her family’s journey leaves you yearning to collect an oral or written history of your own family’s path to how you got here. And as she asks, leaves you wondering how much of the history ends up imbedded inside you? The beautiful, the sad, the incomplete? Additionally, what parts can you rewrite for the next generation?
That reimagining is particularly important when dealing with hidden traumas that were left I dealt with. As Bui imagines, these untold struggles become the demons that haunt the family through multiple generations. The very act of collecting and sharing these fears in this format is a sort of cathartic release from the PTSD of their life in Vietnam all the way through present day. A truly moving memoir.
Thi Bui’s account of her family’s journey leaves you yearning to collect an oral or written history of your own family’s path to how you got here. And as she asks, leaves you wondering how much of the history ends up imbedded inside you? The beautiful, the sad, the incomplete? Additionally, what parts can you rewrite for the next generation?
That reimagining is particularly important when dealing with hidden traumas that were left I dealt with. As Bui imagines, these untold struggles become the demons that haunt the family through multiple generations. The very act of collecting and sharing these fears in this format is a sort of cathartic release from the PTSD of their life in Vietnam all the way through present day. A truly moving memoir.
A beautiful story about a Vietnamese family and their immigration experience to the land of the free. As all immigrants the author's parents were seeking a better future for their children. This is a must read for ALL to help understand what some people endure to come America. My immigration story is very different but lots of similarities growing up in the U.S.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
A thought provoking memoir drawn with stark drawings about a woman discovering and reflecting on the impact of being a refugee of the Vietnam War even years later as an adult. This provides a perspective that is eye opening to someone who has a very vague, American notion of the Vietnam War. It also shows the effects of trauma and what parents pass down to their children - both purposefully and accidentally - in a way that's straightforward and hits home.
This was a stunning and compelling memoir. It was interesting both as an American with only a vague and very American understanding of Vietnam's recent history, and as a child of hardworking parents who did everything possible to give me the best future. I especially appreciated the author's work of unpacking the journey of each of her parents, not apologizing for their behavior at difficult moments, but illuminating their perspective and filling them in as whole individuals with complex experiences.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Arresting drawings for their sketch style. I was gripped by the history and especially her father's story.
Bui does an odd out of sequence telling of her and her siblings' births. I found the dates hard to follow and often flipped back to confirm them, but this may have been because I was caught up in the storytelling.
Bui does an odd out of sequence telling of her and her siblings' births. I found the dates hard to follow and often flipped back to confirm them, but this may have been because I was caught up in the storytelling.