Family Style By Thien Pham

 

This is a story of a Vietnamese family and their journey to America during the Vietnam war. They are refugees that endure pain and struggle yet find a way to experience the beauty of life. Thien, our author and main character, contemplates his identity as the more American he becomes, the less Vietnamese he feels. This story is beautiful yet tragic, as the family works through hard times with the help of Good Samaritans and the pressures of lay-offs, extorters, racists, and poverty. This graphic memoir is certain to make you feel it all; all of what it is to be human.










About the Book                                                                                                      Awards and Recognition

• Title: Family Style                                                              • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

• Author: Thien Pham                                  • Starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist

• Genre: Graphic Memoir / YA Non-fiction      • Longlisted for the National Book Award for YA Literature

• Year Published: 2023                                                                       • Featured on NPR’s “Books We Love”

• Pages: 240                                                                                                                                                      

Why This Book? 

I chose to read this because I have recently begun to really enjoy the graphic memoir genre. The powerful illustrations aside heavy topics makes for such a great reading experience. I also will be perpetually curious about the refugee/immigration experience. Times of trouble, while extremely unfortunate, make for beautiful stories of perseverance and compassion. 

Teaching and Content Considerations

• This book would work well for a whole class instruction around immigration. It is a short read, so it would fit well into a larger text set! 

• The book is also culturally relevant and experientially relatable to 1st generation Americans or migrants currently living in the U. S. 

• Content is largely appropriate for students middle school and up. The themes are heavy at some points, but always handled with care. 

Instructional Ideas

• Discussions around culture and cultural identity work beautifully with this book at the center. The arc of Thien depicts a strong Vietnamese cultural identity that slowly transforms almost entirely into an American cultural identity. 

• Theme instruction and analysis around Identity, Displacement, Assimilation, and significance of culture would work great as well. 

Potential Read Aloud Passages

Pages 5-13: This section is the foregrounding for the whole book. Thien and his family are traveling on a boat to a refugee camp when they are attacked by pirates. His mother tells him not to worry, that she will take care of him, to close his eyes, and he trusts her completely in this moment. 

Pages 43-53: This is a section that depicts the family’s life in the camp. Thien makes a friend, his mom gets buys a food stand, and they become accustomed to their lives. It is a moment that shines because of the joy of the moment contrasted with the dire straits they’re in. It shows their heart and perseverance.

Overall Thoughts and Reflection

This was a bite sized read that fills your stomach. It is condensed but powerful. Thien tells an incredible story of his experience as a refugee in all of its horrors and beautiful moments. This story was heartwarming yet heart wrenching. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Next Steps?

I will continue to read these graphic memoirs! They are so powerful and informative in such an approachable amount of reading time. The stories like this one, March: Book One and Persepolis, all cross the whole breadth of the human experience in an atmospheric and uplifting, hopeful tone. I am becoming a huge fan of the genre!


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