The Magic Fish is a semiautobiographical graphic novel by Trung Le Nguyen published in 2020. It takes place in 1998 and tells the story of the Phong family, with a focus on the mother, Hiền, and son, Tiền. The Magic Fish explores what happens after a family of refugees arrives in the United States and how they grapple with the decision to leave their homeland as well as the nuances of coming to a foreign country. In the author’s note, Nguyen writes that stories of immigration “start and end with the arc of an exodus, and we forget that things continue to happen ever after and that ever after does not happen for everyone all at once” (230). Trung himself was born in a refugee camp in the Philippines, his parents having fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Nguyen’s young protagonist Tiền is coming to terms with his sexuality and trying to determine how to tell his parents.

The Magic Fish won the Harvey Award for Book of the Year, which recognizes achievement and success in comic books. It was also nominated for an Eisner Award and shortlisted for the GLAAD Media Ward for Outstanding Comic Books and the 33rd Lambda Literary Awards for Young Adult Literature, both of which are given by organizations dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and initiatives.

Plot Summary

The novel begins on a bus home from the library. Hiền and Tiền Phong have just picked the next fairytale that they’ll read. Hiền begins the story, detailing how she feels stuck between two places. As she thinks, the illustrations set the groundwork for the rest of the novel, showing three color-coded storylines. The first is a light red, showing Hiền’s present life with her husband Vinh and son Tiền. The second is the yellow of memories, and the third is the deep blue used for fairytales. Hiền thinks about language as a “map to help you figure out where you are” (6). Reading fairytales with Tiền is not only a way for them to spend time together, but a way for her to improve her English.

The first fairytale tells of Alera. It is a Cinderella story about the daughter of a sea princess. Alera’s father had not made good on his deal with the Old Man of the Sea, who wishes to marry her. She flees with the help of her Aunt Velvet and finds refuge in the kingdom of Prince Maxwell. There, the housekeeper Gracia gives her a job in the kitchens, where she wears a hat to hold up her hair. The prince spots her. Flustered, she says her name is “Al” and they become friends. Gracia suggests that Alera attend a ball at the castle since she has been working so hard. She and Prince Maxwell dance the night away, but he doesn’t recognize her. The next day, he tells “Al” all about it. After Velvet rescues Alera one last time from the Old Man of the Sea, she is able to reveal herself to Prince Maxwell, and they live happily ever after.

Meanwhile, Tiền asks Hiền about his grandmother. She says that she hopes to visit her soon, especially since all three of them are now American citizens, allowing them to travel more freely between the United States and Vietnam. He also comes out to his friend Claire when she realizes that he has a crush on their friend Julian. She asks if he’s going to tell his parents. He says, “I want to. I tried looking up how to tell them at the library. The librarian and I couldn’t find the word for it in Vietnamese […] It felt weird technically coming out to the librarian before I even told my parents. It’s all weird” (46).

Claire and Hiền are working on a plan to get Tiền to go to the school dance; neither wants him to miss out on things. Claire invites him when she invites Julian, and Hiền gets him a nice jacket to tailor for the dance.

Hiền’s mother passes away before the dance. She goes to Vietnam for the funeral. There, her aunt reassures her that Hiền’s mother was proud of her. When Hiền confesses to feeling stuck between two places, her aunt tells her the second fairytale of the novel: the titular story of the magic fish.

It is also a Cinderella story. Her aunt tells her about Tấm, whose mother passed away and whose father remarried an evil stepmother who forces her to cook and clean. Tấm’s only comfort is a magic fish who lives in the garden where Tấm sleeps and speaks to her one day when she feels distraught. Tấm comes to find that her mother used to feed the fish. They become fast friends. When Tấm’s stepmother discovers this, she catches the fish and cooks it, feeding Tấm the stew. Tấm buries the bones in her garden. When a merchant hosts a ball to which all unmarried women are invited, the stepmother forces Tấm to stay back and sort grains of white and brown rice. However, a voice tells Tấm to “unbury the bones” of the fish (151). She does, and the magic makes her an elegant dress. The birds promise to finish sorting the grains for her.

Tấm and the merchant get married. When she returns to her stepmother’s house to pay her respects to her father, her stepmother murders her. One night, the merchant wishes she were still alive, and magically, Tấm comes back to life. Returning once again to her stepmother’s, she pays respects to her mother. Her stepsister jealously says that she appears to never age. A bird whispers to the stepsister that Tấm bathes in hot oil, tricking the stepsister to do so and die in the hot water. The stepmother eats her daughter, whose remains have been put into a jar smelling like a freshly cooked meal. She dies from shock.

Hiền asks her aunt if that’s really how the story goes. Her aunt replies: “How should I know? It’s an old, old story. Details change. Things change. And now this story is ours. Yours and mine” (184). Hiền returns home, feeling freer from her guilt and believing that there is still a happily ever after for her, even if she has felt stuck for so long.

Meanwhile, Claire manages to convince Tiền to go to the school dance. Julian offers to dance with him during a slow song. While Julian does not have feelings for Tiền, he makes it clear that he still loves and supports him. Mrs. Flynn, Tiền’s teacher, spots the two boys dancing together. She calls Tiền into her office, enrolling him in faith counseling with Father Niles. The priest makes Tiền feel guilty for being gay and even worse for wanting to tell his mother. The priest says that coming out elicits a reaction from parents that is similar to learning that there has been a death in the family. Thinking about Hiền and his grandmother’s death, Tiền feels afraid to further burden her.

When Hiền returns home, she meets with Mrs. Flynn. She and Tiền remain quiet on the way back from school. They finish the third fairytale, the story of the little mermaid.

A little mermaid longs to be with a man named Brandon, whom she saved when she accidentally capsized his ship. In exchange for her voice, a sea witch grants her legs. She feels as if she is walking on daggers. Brandon finds her on the beach. He leaves her with his friend Bertie, who is searching for someone to dance with her in a performance. The mermaid begins to dance. When Brandon sees her, the mermaid realizes how happy he is and keeps dancing in hopes he will fall in love with her. He doesn’t, and she realizes he has feelings only for Bertie. Heartbroken, she performs in the show anyway as Bertie’s romantic interest. At its end, Bertie turns down Brandon, having fallen in love with the mermaid. They live happily ever after.

Tiền realizes that Hiền has changed the story so that two women end up together. This is her way of showing him that she loves him and accepts that he’s gay.

This study guide refers to the 2020 edition of The Magic Fish published by RH Graphics, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.