A brief life story as told through significant moments marked by food.

I really appreciated the author mentioning in the beginning what significance/symbolism some food items hold for him as it makes people really appreciate that food is not just a cultural experience, but a lived experience. Strawberries, which are typically thought of as a food symbolizing wealth and decadence end up symbolizing poverty and struggle, as it was something that was readily available from working on a farm for a few dollars a day. Potato chips which are thought of as cheap, non-luxury foods take on a meaning of wealth when you're on the tightest of budgets and it becomes a non-essential because food stamps aren't enough to afford them.

There's a deep meaning behind the rejection of foods and language from one's cultural heritage, as second generation individuals of diaspora are often torn with the misguided idea that they have to choose between one cultural identity versus another. In addition, there's the rediscovery of cultural heritage, the celebration of it, and combining/blending it with the newer cultural identity to create a newer, more whole identity.

This story rings very deep as food holds much cultural significance to so many. Framing significant life moments around food makes sense and is incredibly relatable even if you're not an immigrant. Additionally, anyone who has ever lived in poverty could relate to this story. ( )

Beautiful. I loved the framing of the storytelling within food. I loved the way Pham evokes powerful memories and moments in such a spare and impactful way. It's a glorious example of show-don't-tell -- he shows us struggle; he shows us kindness; he shows us identity conflicts and language and cultural displacement. Really stellar book. Also, I totally love that he's giving Gene Yang a hard time -- Thien's sense of humor is delightful. ( )

Gr 9 Up—Pham’s memoir entwines food with memory as he recounts his journey from Vietnam to America. Told
with humor and heart, his life story from childhood through adulthood shines a light on the challenges and joys of his
immigrant experience. Evocative art adds warmth and emotion.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher of First Second Books, and the author Thien Pham for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I don't think having food as chapters or scenes to transition from one time to another was necessary. There could be deeper connections to be made and different ways to make transitions. I appreciated Pham's art style as I found it cute. I also appreciated the amount of details of everyday life spent in the refugee camps. The aspect of refugee camps tends to be seen as transitionary and often less spoken about as opposed to assimilating to America. I wish more works spent more time in the refugee process. ( )

Through the framework of food (Vietnamese and American), Thien Pham recounts his family's perilous journey fleeing Vietnam, staying in a refugee camp, and eventually settling in San Jose, CA, thanks to sponsorship. As with all immigrant stories, the family struggled in a new culture and country but fortunately there were others in the community who could guide them. The parents worked dawn to dusk at manual labor, eventually saving up enough to buy and run a bakery and later a video rental store. Meanwhile Thien grows up fairly Americanized, even losing some of his Vietnamese language skills. The book closes with Thien interviewing his parents about their experiences so he could write this very book. The mom is the fierce heart of the story, the one who dared to dream for better for her loved ones. Tender, funny, and heartfelt. ( )