War, migration, and intergenerational trauma: An analysis of Thi Bui's <i>The Best We Could Do</i>

Abstract Memoirists are often conduits of the bleak, raw realities of war. The Best We Could Do, an illustrated memoir by American‐Vietnamese graphic novelist Thi Bui, is a brilliant blend of her parents' coming‐of‐age story in Vietnam and her experiences as an immigrant. The book explores the horrors of war, the harrowing journey of migration, and the repercussions of displacement on a child and her family, which cannot be reversed. The traumatic events that her parents endured return to haunt them throughout the narrative. These events mark a rupture in their psyche, thereby curbing their ability to make sense of these daunting experiences. The paper attempts to explore how intergenerational trauma affects the protagonist and how the author employs the medium of graphic narrative as an engaging verbal, visual space to articulate her emotions.