A Pho Love Story - Loan Le (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 14/2/2021

Author: Loan Le

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4.5/5

(This review part of the blog tour organised by The Coloured Pages Tours)

About the book:

If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favourite employee. Not ideal.

If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams of pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.

For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighbouring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.

But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.

Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.

Review:

        There is no need to wonder why 'Romeo and Juliet' is still popular. Times might have changed but we have similar scenarios even now, apparently. And thus we have 'A Pho Love Story' . .  oh, don't worry . . . with a happy ending. After all, anything can be resolved if you can talk it out.

        I am neither Vietnamese nor American but anyone from Asian families can really relate to Loan Le's debut. The family rivalry is one thing and along with that is the pressing matter of following your dreams. Its all charming and inspiring, but by the end, it all comes down to one thing: economic security. Can we really blame their parents for looking out for their children?

        Reading the way Bao and Linh weave through this complex family situation was altogether rewarding and amusing. Linh is an aspiring artist and consequently bears the burden of her parent's expectations due to her talent in academics. Bao, on the other hand, is another story. He revels in being mediocre and that strategy eventually allowed him to walk on his chosen path without much family drama. Fewer expectations, fewer demands and more freedom. Isn't that clever?

        But my most favourite part is the Vietnamese food and culture referred throughout the story, like the right kind of spice to a curry. Struggles in a foreign country, racist remarks and language barrier all plays its part and one cannot but salute both these families. 

        And I cannot forget Chef Le, our 'little' meddler. He surely is a force to deal with and the parts he were in is the quite memorable ones. His life, in a way, represents the future that awaits our cute couple. Whether it is love or career, a little bit of courage can surely make a change.

Favourite Quotes:

"It's generally accepted that in families like ours, the older kids have it way harder. We're the guinea pigs in a real-world lab"

"I never thought I'd ever feel weak-kneed -- that is for damsels in distress or elderly people with low blood pressure -- but I guess it's the same for first kisses"

"The feeling of lying has become all too familiar. It's not the nervousness of hiding something now -- it's the shame that weighs me down, more and more."

"But in anything you love, isn't there always some bit of sadness, some essence of suffering? That, to me, is what makes art worth it"

Meet the author:

Loan Le is the youngest child of two Vietnamese immigrants hailing from Nha Trang. She holds an MFA degree in fiction from Fairfield University, also her undergraduate alma mater. A Pushcart Prize–nominated writer, her short stories have appeared in CRAFT Literary, Mud Season Review, and Angel City Review. Loan is an editor at Simon and Schuster's Atria Books imprint and lives in Manhattan. A Pho Love Story is her first novel. Visit her website at writerloanle.com and find her on Twitter @loanloan.