The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

The Best We Could Do is a graphic memoir by Thi Bui that chronicles one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam. The work documents Bui's family's escape following the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s and the challenges they faced building new lives. The memoir explores the experience of immigration and displacement through Bui's personal story. As she becomes a first-time mother, she reflects on her own childhood and what it means to be a parent—examining the sacrifices, unnoticed gestures, and unspoken love within families. The narrative weaves together her family's history with her present-day struggles of balancing the roles of both parent and child. Through illustrated storytelling and poetic writing, Bui examines themes of family strength, identity, and the meaning of home. The book is a National Book Critics Circle finalist and an ALA Notable Books selection.