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The Magic Fish: (A Graphic Novel)

by Trung Le Nguyen Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE

Critically Recognized

Stories across a language divide

Regular price $17.50 USD
Regular price $29.17 USD Sale price $17.50 USD
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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Editorial selection

    Named one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of the Year

    Named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library.

  • Critical praise

    Entertainment Weekly: “One of the most astounding graphic novels of the year”

    Entertainment Weekly called the graphic novel one of the most astounding graphic novels of the year.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Stories across a language divide

In this graphic novel, fairy tales become a shared language between Tien and his Vietnamese immigrant mother, even as his effort to come out to his parents raises a conversation their common stories cannot yet resolve. The book connects family and identity with the practical limits of language: Tien is trying to express something deeply personal in a language his mother is still learning. Stories of love, loss, and journeys across distant shores provide a bridge between their experiences, while the question of how to speak about his identity remains at the heart of the premise.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in graphic novels about family, identity, and coming out.
  • Readers interested in Vietnamese immigrant family experiences and language barriers.
  • Readers who enjoy stories that draw on fairy tales and storytelling.

Themes

Family and belongingComing out and identityImmigration and languageFairy tales and storytelling

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Publishers Weekly

In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the words to tell them that he's gay? A powerful read about family, identity and the enduring magic of stories.

"One of the most astounding graphic novels of the year" -Entertainment Weekly


Tien and his mother may come from different cultures--she's an immigrant from Vietnam still struggling with English; he's been raised in America--but through the fairy tales he checks out from the local library, those differences are erased.

But as much as Tien's mother's English continues to improve as he reads her tales of love, loss, and travel across distant shores, there's one conversation that still eludes him--how to come out to her and his father. Is there even a way to explain what he's going through in Vietnamese? And without a way to reveal his hidden self, how will his parents ever accept him?

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel speaks to the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together even when we don't know the words.

"A lyrical masterpiece." -BuzzFeed
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Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.