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“Pham reflects the push-pull conflict of assimilation and cultural loss as explored through food in digitally illustrated panels portraying visual feasts and expressive emotion, making for a vivid and insightful telling that offers joy and hope amid the terror.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam

Written by Thien Pham
Illustrated by Thien Pham
Published by First Second

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.

Primary ISBN: 9781250809711
Publication Date: June 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Graphic Memoir, Young Adult, Age 14 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: Vietnam, Thailand, United States (California)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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