The Closeness of Family

One of Thi Bui's motivations for uncovering her family history is to feel closer to her parents. She clearly states early in the book that, while her family may live physically close to one another, there is a lack of emotional closeness. She addresses this lack of closeness directly early on is the book by writing: "Travis and I moved to California in 2006 to raise our son near family--trading the life we had built and loved in New York for a notion I had in my head of becoming closer to my parents as an adult. I don't know exactly what it looks like, but I recognize what it is NOT, and now I understand--proximity and closeness are not the same" (31). She emphasizes this lack of familial closeness with an illustration of her and her parents on a walk. Instead of all walking side by...