The Magic Fish

The Magic Fish felt like a beautiful stain glass window into the life of first-generation immigrants. Every time I pick it up, I read it straight through and from that first read it has had a permanent place on the shelf of books I have to pull from for inspiration or to recommend. I think it uniquely captures this experience in a way that is so personable, it’s impossible not to like. When the characters found a way to communicate through stories it felt like a triumph. 

“They’re only stories. They’ll change when they need to.” A beautiful, lyrical, and visually staggering coming-of-age story as a young gay child and his immigrant mother come to understand each other through the telling and retelling of classic fairy tales – each illustrated with Nguyen’s poignant elegance and inflected by the dreams, fears, and cultural influences of their respective teller. This graphic novel made me weep at its beauty – both that of its incomparable art and the careful, sweet kindness of its story. A treasure and a work of art.