Wednesday 12 December 2018

The Best We Could Do



Upon becoming a first time mother, Thi Bui reflects on the lives of her Vietnamese parents.  In an effort to understand her tense relationship with her parents, the author explores her family’s story and recreates it in this beautiful graphic memoire.  During the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, her parents made a daring escape to Malaysia to seek refuge from a country in turmoil.  How they came to be on that boat, and how they eventually came to the United States is a much longer and more complicated story that really shines a light on the enduring strength of people in the face of adversity.    

Alternating between periods in each of her parents lives, Bui weaves a story of two separate people who come together to create a family that endures through hardship and works hard to bring better times. The stories of Bui’s parents, Bo and Ma, as children, as a young couple, as new parents, and as refugees, shows amazing growth of character and really humanizes Bo and Ma beyond the label of just being Bui’s parents.  

Beyond the amazing story of two people carting their three children (while Ma is eight months pregnant!) across the seas on a rickety boat, dodging pirates and detection to save their family from the chaos of Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War, this story exemplifies the hardships parents will endure for their children.  This love is illustrated so beautifully in word and image throughout the book.   While Bui did not grow up in a household where love was expressed verbally or openly on a daily basis, you can see that Ma and Bo did the best they could. 

The Best We Could Do reminded me of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Louis Riel by Chester Brown.  All three books use a different medium to convey true stories of people facing resistance from external forces.  The illustrations bring a new dimension to the telling of these stories.

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  23. The review of "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui highlights the author's exploration of her family's history, the challenges and risks Bui's parents faced during their escape from Vietnam to Malaysia, and the multi-dimensional portrayal of their character development. The theme of parental sacrifice is underscored, with the love and determination of Bo and Ma portrayed as powerful driving forces. Despite the lack of verbal or open expressions of love in the author's upbringing, the book demonstrates Ma and Bo's best efforts, highlighting the universal theme of parental love and sacrifice. The review also compares the book with works like "Persepolis" and "Louis Riel," highlighting a commonality in depicting personal and historical narratives. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the book, highlighting themes of family, resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love. contract dispute attorney near me

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  28. "The Best We Could Do" is a beautifully written memoir that showcases the resilience and sacrifices of Thi Bui's parents during tumultuous times. The memoir's interweaving of individual stories and their journey as a family resonates deeply, showcasing the complexities of familial relationships and enduring love despite challenges. It is compared to works like "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi and "Louis Riel" by Chester Brown, which use graphic storytelling to portray real-life struggles against external pressures. The emotional depth and power of visual storytelling in capturing the nuances of Bui's family history are highlighted, proving the strength of parental love and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The artwork in the memoir speaks volumes, conveying the unsaid and filling the gaps left by the silence in a household where love was shown through actions rather than words. "The Best We Could Do" is a testament to the enduring power of love in the most trying of circumstances. accidente de camión

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