Family Style tells the story of Thien Pham's immigration to the United States from Vietnam using memories of food to tell his personal story. Each of the eight chapters in the book are titled after foods that Pham and his family ate during their migration and American assimilation. This beautiful all-ages graphic memoir proves the emotional power of the link both food and memory have over us.
What does a monkey king, a new kid at school, the only Chinese kid at school, and a random character all have in common? They are all searching for a place to belong.
What if The Great Tasby was set in a magical, alternate American Jazz age? Where magic reigns supreme in the upper echelons, deals are made with literal devils, and relationships are still dramatic. Told through the eyes of Jordan, Daisy's best friend, a Vietnamese adoptee who has a magic and a love story to find of her own.
This is a story of finding. Of wanting. Of belonging. Of family, both found and chosen. Most of all, it is a funny, endearing, and touching. With a background of literary nods, and a skater punk "who gives a damn" aesthetic, I , a 40 something year old women, still found myself in these pages.
A little kid celebrates how her eyes are like her mother's, her grandmother's, and her baby sister's. A beautiful book of belonging.
Can a book be a hug? This book is a hug, a book about familiar expectations, a life plan, sibling love, and a sweet love side story. Follow Mina as she navigates through following her dreams, and enjoy her discovery of how she finds her happiness.
Nicole Chung's second memoir deals with how her blue color, middle class background failed both her parents during the pandemic and herself after their deaths. With her sharp wit she paints her anger, sorry, and grief over how the US healthcare system failed first her father, and then her mother, in this intense breakdown of health, grief, and rage. **read with tissues
Hua Hsu spent 20 years writing this book as an homage to a friend, Ken, who was randomly murdered in a carjacking one night after a college party. The first half details their friends' lives in college at Berkeley in the 90s, and the sense of infinitute you feel when you're young. The second half is a completely arresting tribute to Ken and their friendship as Hsu struggles to process the grief of losing Ken, and the guilt of surviving without him. I can't put into words how good this is -- just read it for yourself and let Hsu tell you how much he loved Ken.
