Susan Lieu's memoir caught me up from the first paragraph. For me, it was a page turner, and filled with hope and aspiration. She brings to life each of her family members, especially her refugee/immigrant parents. While Lieu was born in the USA, her parents and brothers were among the boat people fleeing Vietnam after the US pulled out its military.The tragedy of her mother's death at the hands of an incompetent surgeon is at the heart of the story. Lieu takes the reader through her own journey to learn more about her mother, who died when she was 11, but also to understand her dad, her siblings, and her aunts, as well as learning to accept herself. Grief is a main character, but it never overwhelmed me. Lieu writes beautifully and meaningfully about her grief and how she worked her way through it. We also learn about her path to becoming a full-time artist.