We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
(Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Your Rating: 0 stars
Star rating for
Average user rating: 4.4 stars
User ratings:
5 star
 
(9)
4 star
 
(1)
3 star
 
(0)
2 star
 
(2)
1 star
 
(0)
Author:
Bui, Thi
Published:
ABRAMS 2017
Accelerated Reader:
IL: UG - BL: 4.4 - AR Points: 2
Lexile measure:
GN: Graphic Novel 600L
Status:
Checked Out

Description

National bestseller
2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist
ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection
ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection
An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family's daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.

At the heart of Bui's story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.

In what Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls "a book to break your heart and heal it," The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui's journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.

Also in This Series

Formats

Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
Sample 
OverDrive Read
Sample 
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.

More Like This

Other Editions and Formats

Choose a Format
On Shelf
Carmichael
GRAPHIC 305.8959 B932 2017
Central
GRAPHIC 305.8959 B932 2017
Checked Out
3 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.

More Copies In LINK+

Loading LINK+ Copies...

Subjects

Subjects
Biography & Autobiography
History
Sociology
Nonfiction

More Details

Format:
Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
03/07/2017
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781613129302
ASIN:
B01MF8LTP4
Accelerated Reader:
UG
Level 4.4, 2 Points
Lexile code:
GN: Graphic Novel
Lexile measure:
600

Librarian Reviews

Published Reviews

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Citations

APA Citation (style guide)

Thi Bui. (2017). The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir. ABRAMS.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Thi Bui. 2017. The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir. ABRAMS.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Thi Bui, The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir. ABRAMS, 2017.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Thi Bui. The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir. ABRAMS, 2017.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.

Copy Details

LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection30

There is 1 hold on this title.

Staff View

Grouped Work ID:
23c24766-e6df-dcc7-c922-240c87fa40bf
Go To Grouped Work

QR Code

API Extraction Dates

Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 18:48:39
Date Updated:
Dec 09, 2020 14:22:28
Last Metadata Check:
Oct 13, 2024 10:41:27
Last Metadata Change:
Oct 08, 2024 17:10:11
Last Availability Check:
Oct 13, 2024 10:41:32
Last Availability Change:
Sep 18, 2024 08:33:54
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Oct 14, 2024 14:09:25

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/4951-1/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/4951-1/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/4951-1/358/931/76/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/4951-1/358/931/76/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01MF8LTP4
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781613129302
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Thi Bui
title
The Best We Could Do
dateAdded
2017-03-24T11:45:00-04:00
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=3135209
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Best We Could Do An Illustrated Memoir
crossRefId
3135209
subtitle
An Illustrated Memoir
id
35893176-df58-475b-8349-937f2561ad1e
starRating
4.3

OverDrive MetaData

interestLevel
UG
isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: TheBestWeCouldDo_3135209
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01MF8LTP4
      • rights:
            • type: Kindle
            • value: 1
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 12/21/2019
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=35893176-df58-475b-8349-937f2561ad1e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: TheBestWeCouldDo_9781613129302_3135209
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781613129302
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 12/21/2019
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=35893176-df58-475b-8349-937f2561ad1e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: heartbreaking
      • value: family
      • value: lively
      • value: Asia
      • value: heartache
      • value: Vietnam
      • value: Biography
      • value: War
      • value: Revolution
      • value: Historical
      • value: growing up
      • value: warfare
      • value: engaging
      • value: illustrated
      • value: poignant
      • value: Asian Americans
      • value: Social Studies
      • value: Immigration
      • value: hardship
      • value: retrospective
      • value: love
      • value: Coming of age
      • value: current affairs
      • value: Identity
      • value: fate
      • value: Death
      • value: Autobiography
      • value: revolutionaries
      • value: destiny
      • value: emigration
      • value: Graphic Novels
      • value: realistic
      • value: comics
      • value: refugees
      • value: Touching
      • value: multicultural
      • value: Social Issues
      • value: loss
      • value: memoir
      • value: Social Justice
      • value: Biographical
      • value: life struggles
      • value: asian american history
      • value: human struggles
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Bui, Thi
      • bioText:

        Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States as a child. She studied art and legal studies and at one point wanted to be a civil rights lawyer, but became a public school teacher instead. She lives in Berkeley with her son, her husband, and her mother. The Best We Could Do is her debut graphic novel.

      • name: Thi Bui
imprint
Abrams ComicArts
publishDate
2017-03-07T00:00:00Z
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
The Best We Could Do
fullDescription

National bestseller
2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist
ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection
ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection
An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family's daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.

At the heart of Bui's story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.

In what Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls "a book to break your heart and heal it," The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui's journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.

gradeLevels
      • value: Grade 2
      • value: Grade 3
popularity
2308
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1B3gEAAA2d/products/35893176-df58-475b-8349-937f2561ad1e/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
    • shareInLibby:
        • href: https://link.overdrive.com/share?q=6dYvAMShdiw
        • type: text/HTML
id
35893176-df58-475b-8349-937f2561ad1e
starRating
4.3
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/4951-1/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/4951-1/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/4951-1/358/931/76/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/4951-1/358/931/76/{35893176-DF58-475B-8349-937F2561AD1E}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Biography & Autobiography
      • value: History
      • value: Sociology
      • value: Nonfiction
publishDateText
03/07/2017
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9781419718779
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription

National bestseller
2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist
ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection
ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection
An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family's daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.

At the heart of Bui's story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the...

sortTitle
Best We Could Do An Illustrated Memoir
lexileScore
600
crossRefId
3135209
awards
      • source: The National Book Critics Circle
      • value: National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
      • source: Notable Books Council
      • value: Notable Books for Adults
subtitle
An Illustrated Memoir
publisher
ABRAMS
atos
4.4
bisacCodes
      • code: BIO026000
      • description: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs
      • code: CGN007000
      • description: Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / General
      • code: SOC007000
      • description: Social Science / Emigration & Immigration