pickThere were a bunch of good takeaways in this....
Much of it is a relaxing read, while giving instructions for a certain way of life (ideas I'm not sure I want to follow), I guess containing many answers.
I'd never read Buddhist stuff before so I'm hoping this was a good introduction.
I admire it, even though I doubt I'll walk that path. It's interesting though, and I love some of the grand concepts.
Throughout our life we produce energy. We say things and do things, and every thought, every word, and every act carries our signature. What we produce as thoughts, as speech, as action, continues to influence the world, and that is our continuation body. Our actions carry us into the future. We are like stars whose light energy continues to radiate across the cosmos millions of years after they become extinct.
pickThrough luminous and enchanting fairy tale retellings, the young American-born Tiến connects with his mother, who emigrated from Vietnam, as he struggles to come out to her. What a thoroughly enchanting, quietly moving, and engagingly beautiful tale, touching on so many aspects of the queer and immigrant experiences in such powerful and transformative ways!
A moment in the book that I related to is when the dad was explaining to his son about the Vietnam war and his experiences. I relate to this because it reminds me of a time when I used to go and do things with my granddad and he would explain to me experiences from his childhood.
“‘Why do we still have to fish for food?‘ I ask.
‘Everything in America costs a lot of money,‘ [Dad] explains.”
pickThis book is a great book that helps the audience understand cultural differences and also economic differences. This book includes father-son bonding time that explains when he was in the Vietnam war. I think this book is also a good book to help children understand that they need to be lucky and grateful for what they have.
pickI loved The Mountains Sing just a little more than this one but this one was still love. The author really brings up many of the long lasting impacts of the Vietnam War. There are so many things happening: poverty, the increasing fighting & tactics used during the war, abandonment/adoption, racism, Vietnam‘s continuing struggles post war. So much to unpack but Nguyen weaves it into a seamless story to discuss the phenomenon of Dust Children.
It is hot and dusty where we live. Some people think it's dirty but they don't know much about us. They haven't seen our gardens full of lemongrass, mint, cilantro, and basil. Driving by with their windows rolled up, they've only seen the pigeons pecking at day-old rice and the skinny cats and dogs sitting in the skinny shade of skinny trees. Have they seen the berries that we pick, that turn our lips and fingertips red?
That feeling you get when you realize a book you recommended found its way onto Skottie Young‘s TBR pile after he put a call out for graphic novel and comic recommendations…🙂
Of course, I have no way of knowing if it was my rec that put the tagged book in that great stack of books…but maybe?!? Love and highly recommend The Magic Fish. Little Monsters and Love Everlasting are also great reads.
(Photo is from Skottie Young‘s Instagram)
