The Endless Sea

Some stories demand to be told – not just for those who lived them but for the generations that follow. This is one such story. Inspired by Thai’s own childhood experiences as a refugee from Vietnam, this deeply personal picture book follows a young girl and her family as they embark on a perilous journey across the sea, searching for safety, survival, and a new home.

Narrated through the eyes of a child born after the war but still marked by its aftermath, the story captures the fear, uncertainty, and resilience of displacement. The journey is filled with quiet moments of tension – nights spent hiding in silence, the oppressive closeness of an overcrowded boat, the gnawing hunger as supplies dwindle. Thai’s text is spare yet powerful, each word carrying the weight of memory, loss, and hope. The language is deeply evocative, its understated simplicity heightening the emotional impact.

Dao’s illustrations amplify this storytelling with striking visual contrasts. The opening pages, rooted in earthy tones, depict life in a village ‘a tiger’s whisker away from the jungle’ – a fragile sense of belonging overshadowed by the lingering consequences of war. As the family’s journey begins, darkness and vast expanses of water dominate the pages, mirroring the immensity of the unknown. The use of dark, tonal colours and space is particularly effective, at times making the characters seem almost swallowed by the endless sea. Yet these moments pass.

After so much uncertainty comes a moment of stillness. The girl, now safe, lies in bed with her cat, a ‘whisker away from my new home.’  The story that began with fear ends with warmth, reflecting the long journey from loss to belonging. The endpapers, too, quietly enclose the narrative with family photographs—a tender reminder that memories endure, even as life moves forward.

This is more than a refugee story – it is a testament to survival, resilience, and the unbreakable bond of family. In a world where forced displacement is an ever-present reality, this book carries an urgent, timeless relevance. A profoundly moving, beautifully illustrated narrative that lingers long after the final page.

Ending the Silence: Chi Thai, film-maker, talks about her book The Endless Sea, which tells the true story of her childhood as a refugee at the end of the Vietnam war.