kimsa's review against another edition
4.0
Triggering to read, but I'm glad I did… I sobbed multiple times.
aliencat7's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
It was sad and funny, I really enjoy reading other people's experiences of growing up in the US. I am not an immigrant, but reading memoirs like this one puts me in perspective of how difficult it is to grow up as one in the US.
booksandboardingpass's review against another edition
3.0
« As for art--it was either for those who had too much time on their hands, which we did not, or for those destined for a life of poverty, which we were desperately trying to escape. »
« When you are near ink, you will be stained; when you are near the light, you will shine. […] I found comfort in the idea that I was nor under the sway of either ink or light, that I could be the light. Being the light also meant that I could somehow eradicate the dark, which was a great source of fear for me at this time. »
« "Ly." She pronounces it "Lie" instead of "Lee." "Lie Tran, please step down." I step off the bleachers and walk up to the white line. I am accustomed to people calling me Lie. I don't correct them because I'm afraid to tell them they are wrong. I am more concerned with their comfort than my own. »
« I was afraid I didn't have any feelings. There seemed to be a ship among ships within the vast unchartered seas of my psyche that I could never swim out to. And on that ship were the words I searched desperately for but could never reach. »
« Anyway, I'd decided there were worse things. At the end of the day who was more objectionable- the women who would shout insults at me and my parents, and would not pay the amount they owed, let alone tip, or this man who treated me well, paid me compliments and tipped me? Never mind the inappropriate touching. He wasnt harming me Physically, I reasoned. And I came to regard my ability to withstand his touch as a test of strength. In my distorred perception of reality! had achieved a delicate reversal of power. »
« When you are near ink, you will be stained; when you are near the light, you will shine. […] I found comfort in the idea that I was nor under the sway of either ink or light, that I could be the light. Being the light also meant that I could somehow eradicate the dark, which was a great source of fear for me at this time. »
« "Ly." She pronounces it "Lie" instead of "Lee." "Lie Tran, please step down." I step off the bleachers and walk up to the white line. I am accustomed to people calling me Lie. I don't correct them because I'm afraid to tell them they are wrong. I am more concerned with their comfort than my own. »
« I was afraid I didn't have any feelings. There seemed to be a ship among ships within the vast unchartered seas of my psyche that I could never swim out to. And on that ship were the words I searched desperately for but could never reach. »
« Anyway, I'd decided there were worse things. At the end of the day who was more objectionable- the women who would shout insults at me and my parents, and would not pay the amount they owed, let alone tip, or this man who treated me well, paid me compliments and tipped me? Never mind the inappropriate touching. He wasnt harming me Physically, I reasoned. And I came to regard my ability to withstand his touch as a test of strength. In my distorred perception of reality! had achieved a delicate reversal of power. »
cordiallykathy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Suicidal thoughts
aboppy's review against another edition
5.0
This book touched me in ways I am still trying to understand. Ly's story is one that on some level will make you feel in a very deep way no matter your background
kaloughl's review against another edition
4.0
This was a tough memoir to read. It was good, don't get me wrong, but just emotionally troubling. Though it does talk a lot of Ly Tran's cultural identity and the struggle between her immigrant parents/status and her new American lifestyle, I think the strongest part of this memoir was about mental health. Ly Tran came to America with her parents and three older brothers when she was a toddler. After settling in Queens, the family began to take in sewing work to make ends meet and had to arrange and sew thousands of ties and cummerbunds for pennies. Ly and her brothers did well in school but when Ly's eye sight began to decline, her father refused to let her get glasses convinced it was a government plot. His paranoia stemmed from his incarceration in a Vietnamese POW camp and lead to a prickly existence, especially with his wife and children. Ly's declining eye sight lead to difficulty at school and a longterm battle with depression. The second half of her memoir focuses on her struggle to stay motivated in school, having to fight back from the brink many times.
As someone who was legally blind for the majority of my life and had to rely heavily on glasses and contact lenses, I resonated a lot with Ly's journey with her eyesight. One major difference though was that I was privileged enough to never go a day without insurance and family support and never had to struggle with my eyesight in school. I was floored with Ly's experience and wondered why it took so long before someone was able to help her. And then once they did, why was the only way to bring in child services? It just makes you question our healthcare system, which was exacerbated when Ly ended up in psychiatric care later. Reading about Ly's descent into deep depression was so tough but she told her story so well. I think this was one of the best memoirs about depression that I read because it focuses a lot on the despondency and how un-special it is. By that I mean that it was just Ly's everyday existence and her writing made you realize, wow this could happen to me too. I also liked her honesty with how she struggled to come back from it, trying therapy, medication, etc and eventually finding a good balance but acknowledging that it is there for life. I also got Lasik surgery to correct my vision and I had a visceral reaction to Ly's description of the surgery at the end. It was 1000% worth it but boy, I never want to go through it again!!
Overall, Ly's writing was terrific. It was so visceral and honest that I often had a hard time reading but am so glad I did.
As someone who was legally blind for the majority of my life and had to rely heavily on glasses and contact lenses, I resonated a lot with Ly's journey with her eyesight. One major difference though was that I was privileged enough to never go a day without insurance and family support and never had to struggle with my eyesight in school. I was floored with Ly's experience and wondered why it took so long before someone was able to help her. And then once they did, why was the only way to bring in child services? It just makes you question our healthcare system, which was exacerbated when Ly ended up in psychiatric care later. Reading about Ly's descent into deep depression was so tough but she told her story so well. I think this was one of the best memoirs about depression that I read because it focuses a lot on the despondency and how un-special it is. By that I mean that it was just Ly's everyday existence and her writing made you realize, wow this could happen to me too. I also liked her honesty with how she struggled to come back from it, trying therapy, medication, etc and eventually finding a good balance but acknowledging that it is there for life. I also got Lasik surgery to correct my vision and I had a visceral reaction to Ly's description of the surgery at the end. It was 1000% worth it but boy, I never want to go through it again!!
Overall, Ly's writing was terrific. It was so visceral and honest that I often had a hard time reading but am so glad I did.
stephaniejalowiec's review against another edition
5.0
Ly Tran came from Vietnam with her parents and brothers when she was a toddler. She works as a child making cummerbunds in the family’s living room and then paints nails at her mother’s salon. Who is Ly Tran outside of her family’s expectations? How will she find her place in America and honor her heritage? Ly Tran is a courageous woman and a beautiful writer.