
Originally posted on Instagram, this young adult graphic novel details the author's childhood immigration to America with his family, through the lens of particularly meaningful food and meals. Thien's first memory isn't a sight or a sound. It's the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It's the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don't get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Strawberries come to signify struggle as Thien's mom and dad look for work. Potato chips are an indulgence that bring Thien so much joy that they become a necessity. Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search--for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.
year: 2023
call number/section: 741.5, 1000, 305.9, 920, 92, 921
subjects: pham, thien, juvenile literature, comic books, strips, etc, vietnamese americans, juvenile literature, comic books, strips, etc, cooking, vietnamese, graphic novels, united states, social life and customs, juvenile literature, comic books, strips, etc, cartoons and comics, california, refugees, vietnam, united states, immigrants, food, cartoons and comics, cartoons and comics, autobiographical comics, nonfiction comics, comics (graphic works)
Editions

Pham, Thien
Originally posted on Instagram, this young adult graphic novel details the author's childhood immigration to America with his family, through the lens of particularly meaningful food and meals. Thien's first memory isn't a sight or a sound. It's the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It's the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don't get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Strawberries come to signify struggle as Thien's mom and dad look for work. Potato chips are an indulgence that bring Thien so much joy that they become a necessity. Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search--for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.
Schools: 29
Pham, Thien
First Second (2023)
"Told through the lens of meaningful food and meals, this graphic memoir chronicles the author's [life], beginning with his childhood immigration to America, where food takes on new meaning as he and his family search for belonging, for happiness and for the American dream"--Provided by publisher.
Schools: 2