The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

National bestseller! National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist American Library Association (ALA) 2018 Notable Books Selection “Gives powerful context to refugees everywhere.” — New York Times Book Review “A book to break your heart and heal it.” ―Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, The Sympathizer An intimate and poignant debut graphic novel portraying one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam, from Thi Bui. This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves. At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home. The Best We Could Do brings to life, with words and images, Bui’s journey of understanding and provides inspiration to all those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past. It is a powerful look at one woman’s life and a war fought decades ago, but her story and the book’s message resonate remarkably today.