The Magic Fish

Tiền Phong is one of the novel’s two main protagonists. He is 13 years old, and he and his family are refugees from Vietnam. Tiền and his mom enjoy reading fairytales together, and this becomes a way for them to communicate. As they dive into stories, it is also an escape from the world and from their struggles.

For much of the novel, Tiền struggles with telling his parents that he is gay and has feelings for his friend Julian. He tries asking one of the librarians to help him find the right word for “gay” in Vietnamese, but to no avail. When he describes the experience to his friend Claire, he says, “it felt weird technically coming out to the librarian before I even told my parents. It’s all weird” (46). He is afraid of burdening his parents, especially his mom because of his grandmother’s illness.

This struggle continues—and worsens—throughout Tiền’s journey. After Mrs. Flynn asks him about his dance with Julian, he feels distant from his friends. He tells Claire that it’s hard for him to ask for help. Claire helps him to understand that she loves and supports him. Tiền eventually recognizes that he can rely on his mom too, despite the treatment he receives from other adults in his life.