Thi Bui

Thi Bui is the author, illustrator, and narrator of The Best We Could Do. Born in Vietnam in the middle of civil war, she and her family escaped to a Malaysian refugee camp when she was just a few years old. The family then emigrated to the United States where she grew up and still lives. Since she was so young when she left Vietnam, Thi has virtually no memories of her home country. However, her life, including her childhood in particular, is deeply impacted by her parents' experiences. It is not until she is an adult and begins to ask her parents about their personal and family history that she realizes how those experiences have shaped both them and her.

Thi describes her young childhood as a fearful time at home with her father while her mother was away at work. Later, when she learns...