The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

This book is breathtaking, if not in the art then certainly in the storytelling. I can’t be sure this book will speak to everyone the same way, but to me it captures extremely well the intricate history of a family across several generations during some of the most tumultuous events of Vietnam in the 20th century. This is a story of a refugee family, whose lives mirrored the transitions of a war-torn country and the many tragedies that left permanent scars on the minds of anyone involved. Ms. Bui’s story doesn’t have to reflect the worst of reality, and after all, the point isn’t to sensationalize the refugee experience. Rather than a political commentary on the war or a sociological statement on the struggles of immigrants in a new land, this book is best described as a moving and deeply personal account of her own family’s anguish and pain, many parts of which are left unsaid because traumas may take a lifetime to heal. The underlying message is also subtle but absolutely brilliant: that regardless of one’s ideology, political stance, or religious affiliation, treating people as mere representatives of a distant ideal removes the humanity in our connections with others. Reading history through the lens of a person invites a certain amount of compassion and empathy for what those on the “other side” yearn for. And more often than not, it is the same thing for both “us” and “them”: the safety and wellbeing of kin and loved ones. 5/5