cover photograph taken by K. Reyes 3/2021
Bibliographic Information:
- Title: A Pho Love Story
- Author: Loan Le
- ISBN: 9781534441934
- Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers
- Copyright Date: 2021
Genre [Format of the Title]:
- Romance, realistic fiction, #OwnVoices [Book]
- none as of this date; just published Feb 2021
- Target grades 7-12 (Teachingbooks.net, 2021); this book may be more interesting to upper grade level readers due to the romance aspect
Plot Summary:
Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai are children of immigrant parents from Vietnam. Both sets of parents run a Vietnamese restaurant directly across the street from each other and their competition against each other is fierce. Neither teen is allowed to befriend the other until one night, Bao decides to talk to Linh as she stepped out of her parents’ restaurant to catch some fresh air and clear her distressed self. They get to know each other and become each others biggest supporter. Bao discovers he enjoys writing and Linh focuses on her art. They begin seeing each other unbeknownst to their parents. And unbeknownst to them, the history of hostility between the families goes beyond their current business competitiveness. It goes all the way back to Vietnam where once, decades before, the families were tightly connected until tragedy struck. How can Bao and Linh overcome the rift that threatens to break them, too?
Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai are children of immigrant parents from Vietnam. Both sets of parents run a Vietnamese restaurant directly across the street from each other and their competition against each other is fierce. Neither teen is allowed to befriend the other until one night, Bao decides to talk to Linh as she stepped out of her parents’ restaurant to catch some fresh air and clear her distressed self. They get to know each other and become each others biggest supporter. Bao discovers he enjoys writing and Linh focuses on her art. They begin seeing each other unbeknownst to their parents. And unbeknownst to them, the history of hostility between the families goes beyond their current business competitiveness. It goes all the way back to Vietnam where once, decades before, the families were tightly connected until tragedy struck. How can Bao and Linh overcome the rift that threatens to break them, too?
Author Background:
Loan Le writes adult short stories while working as an Editor for Atria Books and Imprint of Simon and Schuster (Aquino, 2021). She attended Fairfield University where she received both her undergraduate degree as well as her MFA degree. Le has written several helpful articles about the publishing industry as she interned at Folio Literary Management in Manhattan for four months (Le, 2014). Both of Le’s parents immigrated from Vietnam and her Vietnamese heritage informs the details in A Pho Love Story, her first published novel. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has had her short stories published in CRAFT Literary, Mud Season Review, to name a few (Le, 2021).
Loan Le writes adult short stories while working as an Editor for Atria Books and Imprint of Simon and Schuster (Aquino, 2021). She attended Fairfield University where she received both her undergraduate degree as well as her MFA degree. Le has written several helpful articles about the publishing industry as she interned at Folio Literary Management in Manhattan for four months (Le, 2014). Both of Le’s parents immigrated from Vietnam and her Vietnamese heritage informs the details in A Pho Love Story, her first published novel. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has had her short stories published in CRAFT Literary, Mud Season Review, to name a few (Le, 2021).
Click on the photo to check out Loan Le's website (screenshot by K. Reyes 3/2021)
Critical Evaluation:
The story unfolds in alternating chapters as we hear Bao’s point of view then Linh’s. There are moments when I get lost in the narration and forget that I’m reading Linh’s and not Bao’s chapter. That is sometimes good in that I found myself so immersed in the story that I’m allowing myself to be part of the narrative but sometimes I find this confusing because, who’s talking? Why can’t I tell the difference between the two in this chapter? The use of Vietnamese phrases and words within the narrative adds to the authenticity of the story but sometimes it contributes to my confusion such as moments when the mother speaks but refers to herself in third person. Was this intentional or did I miss something in the translation? Or maybe it was an editing oversight such as that on page 318 where a sentence contains a misplaced opening quotation mark.
Regardless, the Romeo and Juliet story is not a sad ending here and their budding romance is so palpable and you just want everything to work out. There is enough tension within their own family relationship that contributes to the larger conflict between the two families. There are moments that will make even my cynical self tear up especially when Linh interacts with her parents and when she wants to be acknowledged as an artist. The dialogue there is just raw and realistic. There is also the realistic acknowledgment and exploration of racism and the difficulties that immigrants experience in their adopted country. This story is so beautifully layered that even the ugly parts of reality make this such a good read.
The story unfolds in alternating chapters as we hear Bao’s point of view then Linh’s. There are moments when I get lost in the narration and forget that I’m reading Linh’s and not Bao’s chapter. That is sometimes good in that I found myself so immersed in the story that I’m allowing myself to be part of the narrative but sometimes I find this confusing because, who’s talking? Why can’t I tell the difference between the two in this chapter? The use of Vietnamese phrases and words within the narrative adds to the authenticity of the story but sometimes it contributes to my confusion such as moments when the mother speaks but refers to herself in third person. Was this intentional or did I miss something in the translation? Or maybe it was an editing oversight such as that on page 318 where a sentence contains a misplaced opening quotation mark.
Regardless, the Romeo and Juliet story is not a sad ending here and their budding romance is so palpable and you just want everything to work out. There is enough tension within their own family relationship that contributes to the larger conflict between the two families. There are moments that will make even my cynical self tear up especially when Linh interacts with her parents and when she wants to be acknowledged as an artist. The dialogue there is just raw and realistic. There is also the realistic acknowledgment and exploration of racism and the difficulties that immigrants experience in their adopted country. This story is so beautifully layered that even the ugly parts of reality make this such a good read.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
An evening of Pho(n). Collaborate with our Chef class to recreate a few recipes mentioned in this novel.
An evening of Pho(n). Collaborate with our Chef class to recreate a few recipes mentioned in this novel.
Pho in real life! Click on picture to get recipe. (Photo from: https://thewoksoflife.com/pho-vietnamese-noodle-soup/)
Speed-Round Book Talk:
There is nothing like food to bring people together, unless of course you’re serving it and your competitor next door is serving the same thing. And then what happens when you fall in love with the daughter/son of our sworn enemy? It could be a recipe for tragedy or it could be the ingredient needed to make a dish worth coming together for.
There is nothing like food to bring people together, unless of course you’re serving it and your competitor next door is serving the same thing. And then what happens when you fall in love with the daughter/son of our sworn enemy? It could be a recipe for tragedy or it could be the ingredient needed to make a dish worth coming together for.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
This book is so innocuous in its love scenes. They hold hands, they kiss, they hug. One might argue that the Vietnamese community is portrayed as insular and provincial but Le is setting the scene that’s very realistic in many small communities where people trade in gossip and where your life, reputation, and livelihood often depends on the whispered information from the resident busybody.
This book is so innocuous in its love scenes. They hold hands, they kiss, they hug. One might argue that the Vietnamese community is portrayed as insular and provincial but Le is setting the scene that’s very realistic in many small communities where people trade in gossip and where your life, reputation, and livelihood often depends on the whispered information from the resident busybody.
Reason for Inclusion:
I am a sucker for a well-written romance novel that’s not sappy drivel. Even if you’re not a child of immigrants, this story will feel familiar to anyone who has ever fallen for the “wrong” person. I know teens who would love to read this.
I am a sucker for a well-written romance novel that’s not sappy drivel. Even if you’re not a child of immigrants, this story will feel familiar to anyone who has ever fallen for the “wrong” person. I know teens who would love to read this.
REFERENCES
Aquino, G. (2021, February 11). Four questions with Loan Le. PublishersWeekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/85553-four-questions-with-loan-le.html
Le, L. (2021, March 12). Loan Le. https://writerloanle.me/
Le, L. (2014, August 17). What I learned after working at a literary agency. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140817003635-139657584-what-i-learned-after-working-at-a-literary-agency?trk=public_profile_article_view
TeachingBooks.net. (2021). A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74558.
Le, L. (2021, March 12). Loan Le. https://writerloanle.me/
Le, L. (2014, August 17). What I learned after working at a literary agency. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140817003635-139657584-what-i-learned-after-working-at-a-literary-agency?trk=public_profile_article_view
TeachingBooks.net. (2021). A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74558.
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