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Apr 14, 2019sandraperkins rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is the first graphic novel I have ever read. It is possible to read this book quickly, as there are relatively few words among all the pictures, but the story is very powerful. It is also timely, as there are so many refugees in the world today, fleeing war, violence, climate change disaster, etc. I wept reading this book, as this family suffered so much hardship over the years. The children were able to achieve success in this country, but they were not unscathed. As I read this book, I thought about what an easy life I have had by comparison. Those of us who were born into middle class (or better) lives in the US truly won the birth lottery. Whatever troubles we have are miniscule compared to those of most people in the world. The Best We Could Do gives us insights into the refugee/immigrant experience. As we listen to the anti-immigrant vitriol spewing from the mouths of some of our leaders (most of which is outright lies), we are lucky to have books like these to tell the stories of people coming to the US from other lands. Immigrants are NOT criminals and terrorists; they are people just like us. They are NOT coming here because they want to take US jobs. Only unspeakable horrors would drive people to risk their lives and the lives of their children to leave home and all that is familiar, to come to a new place where people are hostile to them.