When two pho restaurants sit in the same city, there is bound to be competition. The splash of soups. The abomination of spices. The tanginess of the sauce. The Nguyen and Mai family have been at each other’s throats for so many years, yet a love story blossoms between their young children.
Written by Loan Le, “A Pho Love Story” projects a Romeo-and-Juliet story where an unlikely romance is forged from rivaling pho restaurants. The book is split between two high school perspectives: Linh Mai and Bao Nguyen. Linh Mai’s world is immersed with art and all that is with drawing and painting. She wishes to become an artist in the future; however, her parents expected her to work full time at their pho restaurant where Linh would have better financial stability and realistic life goals. Bao is a good writing editor and later finds that he wants to pursue a career in editing after becoming friends with Linh. Together, the two help fill in each other’s holes of confidence and empower their dreams of the arts.
Despite the constant gossip from feuding families, Linh and Bao grew their friendship without having to hate each other. “A Pho Love Story,” while charming of a coming-of-age story it may be, touches on family expectations, communication, and self-identity. The parents of Bao and Linh are prominent in the story with anecdotes that reveal their past history in the Vietnam War. Loan Le, the child of immigrants, was inspired by the love and meals from her family. Family relationships are often omitted in YA novels, but Le beautifully interweaves Linh and Bao’s family secrets that forced them to help their families in immediate times of need, especially stripping them away from their artistic dreams.
The book also touches on realistic issues that Vietnamese Americans face in their households. With the expectations of these characters to take over their family restaurants and pursue higher education, Linh and Bao are pressured to follow in their family’s footsteps. That alone has clouded their future. The story had an enlightening touch of Chef Le who served as a good big brother and mentor role for these kids. Seeing these kids reminded Chef Le of his younger days when he worked a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get his own restaurant today. He supports Linh by providing her a commissioned art assignment.
The cute romance reveals the significance of communication as the two families had jarring perspectives of a particular crime that kept them apart for so many years. On the bright side, the detailed imagery of pho will surely leave your mouth watering for more.
