A review by littlecake
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"This little book [passport] took me eight years to earn. Was it worth the last eight years of my mother's life ? And what sort of daughter does that make me?"

Wow, this book made me feel so many emotions. It might be my favorite of all the graphic novels I have read in 2022. 

At its core, "The Magic fish" is a mother/son story. Tiên is a young Vietnamese boy struggling to explain to his mother, Hiên, that he is gay. It explores their relationship, the language gap, and how they create new ways to communicate by mixing English and Vietnamese. As an immigrant child myself, it was such a relatable setting. We all forge these new vocabularies within our families. Our parents lose a bit of touch with their original language. Still, we also integrate part of their vocabularies to describe our realities. This mix is a beautiful bridge created between different generations, and Le Nguyen depicted them beautifully.

Often, in mainstream media or books, our immigrant parents are depicted as these stiff figures - unwilling to change their habits and stuck in another time and/or place. However, it fails to celebrate our parent's sacrifices, resilience, and adaptation to a hostile world. Through Hiên's (the mother) character, Le Nguyen celebrated each of those sacrifices - which felt healing to my heart. Hiên's point of view was touching: a longing for her country and her family, the price she pays to live a new life and allow the next generation to live more comfortably. 

I also loved how Tiên viewed his mom: someone that shelters him, someone he wants sincerely to connect with. But, at the same time, he feels they come from different worlds and is afraid she won't be able to accept him. This is, of course, enhanced by his homosexuality. The coming out is treated with so much love and empathy. 

As a lover of fairytales, I enjoyed the different retellings in the book. They are all used to convey lessons important to the characters. The art is stunning. Furthermore, I also loved how Le Nguyen incorporated each teller's imagery to create a world and a story unique to them for each fairytale. 

The last page made me teary. This book is truly a celebration of immigrant families and their resilience, and it will stay with me for a long time.
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