Book Review: The Best We Could Do

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Best We Could Do is a beautiful illustrated memoir by Thi Bui about the hardships of life in wartorn Vietnam and immigration to the United States. This graphic novel contains flowing illustrations in black and white with red accents that show the heartbreaking emotion of the beautiful story of Thi Bui’s family. She isn’t afraid to share the devastating occurrences her family faced from her parents strained relationship to her own complicated relationship with her parents. These hardships are flashbacks throughout the novel and are paralleled with her current journey of becoming a mother for the first time. Through all of the heartbreak and devastation, there is a silver lining at the end of the book. She is able to redefine motherhood and growing up in an immigrant family while she raises her own son who carries none of the family’s harrowing past. I highly recommend this book, but make sure you have a box of Kleenex nearby while reading.



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