The Best We Could Do is an illustrated memoir by Thi Bui. While this is not a book I would normally have chosen to read, it was picked by my new book club as one of the reads for the summer.  The following review will have spoilers – can you have spoilers in a memoir?

The Best We Could Do was well done. There are some interesting and powerful messages in the text. The biggest point in its favour was the illustrated narrative – it was a fast read! Which is something I appreciate in a genre I am not drawn to. The illustrations – yes, think comic book, but for adults – is coloured in black, white and rust. The rust really adds to the historic feel of the story. 

The story is one person’s reflection on their family history with a particularly strong focus on Thi’s relationship with her parents. In fact, a considerable amount of time is spent looking at both her mother and her father – their childhood and early years of marriage. 

Thi Bui’s family is from Viet Nam and her memoir touches on some of the turbulent years of the country before her family finally fled to America. I don’t know anything about Viet Nam or its struggles. But I do know something about Cambodia. I could not help but draw a number of comparisons between the stories I have learned of Cambodia and what I was reading about Viet Nam. It reminds me how difficult life is in many parts of the world. How hard change is for the people living through it. But most striking for me, was the hardships faced by refugees fleeing abhorrent conditions, taking nothing with them, and then faced with so much uncertainty and cultural difference when they immigrate to a new country. That reminder was what I took away from the book. And a stronger desire to be more understanding and compassionate when interacting with people coming to Canada as refugees. 

We do not know what they have been through and so it is difficult to appreciate how challenging this move is. Particularly for families fleeing for their lives. They bring nothing with them but a sliver of hope. Hope that leaving everything behind will mean more opportunities for their children. Hope that they will be able to rebuild a life in a foreign land where the customs are so different. It is very humbling to reflect on the sacrifices these families make and the numerous challenges they face. I work with a number of newcomers, so I found this aspect of the story very meaningful to me.

The other strong theme running through the book is that of maturing. The challenges we face as we grow from child to adult and how that reshapes our relationship with our parents. Tied to this idea are the traits we pick up and adopt because of our parents’ histories. What we carry forward from their experiences – for good or ill. I was less interested in this personal reflection. I feel I have thought about my own relationships to my parents and as I am not a parent, I cannot look in the other direction. 

While the story The Best We Could Do, is not one that I naturally gravitate towards, it is a powerful and well composed book. Except for the non-linear beginning which left me rather confused about Thi’s father and his past. However, the illustrated nature of the book helps to break down the complexity of the narrative. I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5 and recommend that you try the story. It is not a huge time commitment, but it is certainly eye-opening for those who have not gone through such challenging circumstances.