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The book honestly took me by surprise with the illustration style reflecting the tone of the content.
The story The Best We Could Do is about the author/illustrator Thi Bui and her family escaping during the Vietnam War. Her story also illustrates her life moving to California and family struggles across three generations.
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
I truthfully know very little about the Vietnam War without brushing up on my history or doing more in-depth research on the topic, but after reading through Thi Bui’s work I have a better sense of the atrocities inflicted on residents of South Vietnam. I’m most interested in the illustration style of Bui because of the rough, haunting images shown. While the depictions are harsh, there is a grace to the washed-out look giving more character to the family’s trials.
At the end of the book, I can see the generational differences between Bui and her parents that leads them down different paths. But it is nice to see the different perspectives that influenced the decision making and parenting between Bui’s parents and herself.
The Best We Could Do really gives the reader a glimpse into a hard reality for Thi Bui’s family, but the illustrations are captivating while expressing chilling detail. I really recommend the book because of the illustrations and for anyone that wants to see a direct perspective during this point in history.
