The Best We Could DoThe Best We Could Do
Score Modern
What it's about
When Thi Bui became a mother herself, she set out to understand her own parents: what they had lived through in Vietnam, through French rule and the war, and their escape by boat in 1978 with their young children. In this illustrated memoir she pieces together their lives and her own as a refugee child in America.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a beautifully drawn story about family, war and what parents pass to their children.
You'll love it if you liked
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
The SympathizerGood to know
It's a graphic memoir. There are scenes of war and a difficult childbirth.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics21 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller20 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz5 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #140 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #430 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #832 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Best We Could Do worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #832 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Best We Could Do about?
When Thi Bui became a mother herself, she set out to understand her own parents: what they had lived through in Vietnam, through French rule and the war, and their escape by boat in 1978 with their young children. In this illustrated memoir she pieces together their lives and her own as a refugee child in America.
How long does it take to read The Best We Could Do?
About 8 hours (327 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Best We Could Do?
If you liked it, try Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel or The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.