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A review by mat_tobin
A Different Pond by Bao Phi
5.0
Phi, a Vietnamese American poet living in Minnesota, recalls some deeply poignant and important moments from his childhood which tell of his future role in providing for his family whilst also understanding his cultural roots. In the story, a young boy accompanies his father to go illegally fishing in order to put food on his family’s plates. Having sought refuge from Vietnam, much like the illustrator’s own parents, Bui’s family here are poor and his father must work multiple jobs in order to get by.
Yet it is at the pond that the young boy and father bond. There they meet others surviving on the fringe of society: a Hmong man who tells funny jokes a black man with a colourful lure collection. It is here, at the river, that the boy’s father shares his stories of his own home and of times when he was a child, fishing. Although at the time, the boy may not understand the rite of passage that is happening here, Phi, now grown up, does and this is a beautiful, touching story.
Bui’s illustrations have always meant a lot to me since reading The Best We Could Do: a graphic novel depicting her own family’s move to America. Not only does she evoke the moment between night and the early dawn with real tenderness but she is extremely adept at capturing family relationships. She understands how landscape and space can help evoke a sense of being constrained and dwarfed by the world the young boy lives in just as well as she can capture those tight moments of intimacy.
Yet it is at the pond that the young boy and father bond. There they meet others surviving on the fringe of society: a Hmong man who tells funny jokes a black man with a colourful lure collection. It is here, at the river, that the boy’s father shares his stories of his own home and of times when he was a child, fishing. Although at the time, the boy may not understand the rite of passage that is happening here, Phi, now grown up, does and this is a beautiful, touching story.
Bui’s illustrations have always meant a lot to me since reading The Best We Could Do: a graphic novel depicting her own family’s move to America. Not only does she evoke the moment between night and the early dawn with real tenderness but she is extremely adept at capturing family relationships. She understands how landscape and space can help evoke a sense of being constrained and dwarfed by the world the young boy lives in just as well as she can capture those tight moments of intimacy.