Memories of an American from Vietnam
by Thien Pham
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2023
240 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
A moving young adult graphic memoir about a Vietnamese immigrant boy's search for belonging in America, perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and The Best We Could Do.
Thien's first memory isn't a sight or a sound. It's the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It's the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam.
After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don't get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Strawberries come to signify struggle as Thien's mom and dad look for work. Potato chips are an indulgence that bring Thien so much joy that they become a necessity.
Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search—for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.
"Pham employs food as a vehicle to chronicle his and his family's treacherous experience as Vietnamese refugees in this arresting graphic novel memoir...Pham reflects the push-pull conflict of assimilation and cultural loss as explored through food in digitally illustrated panels portraying visual feasts and expressive emotion, making for a vivid and insightful telling that offers joy and hope amid the terror." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Moving between harrowing and hopeful moments, his family's experiences in their new country are powerfully juxtaposed. The narrative cohesion is weakened by time jumps in the final chapters...but the depiction of food as a love language holds together throughout. The blocky, geometric artwork is skillfully executed in rich, earthy, muted shades with strong black lines, lending the work a nostalgic feeling. An American story to savor." —Kirkus Reviews
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Thien Pham is a graphic novelist, comic artist, and educator based in Oakland, CA. He is the author and illustrator of the graphic novel Sumo and did the art for the middle-grade graphic novel Level Up, written by Gene Luen Yang, and is an ongoing comic contributor to Eater SF. Currently Pham is working on his next graphic novel, teaching, and eating. A lot.
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