The Best We Could Do

by

Thi Bui

The brand name of a benzodiazepine drug called diazepam, which causes sedation and memory loss. When they are nearly caught during their escape attempt, some of the adults on the boat inject the children with valium in order to put them to sleep.
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Valium Term Timeline in The Best We Could Do

The timeline below shows where the term Valium appears in The Best We Could Do. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7: Heroes and Losers
Intergenerational Trauma Theme Icon
Repression and Freedom Theme Icon
...the boat. Meanwhile, the other adults hide below deck and sedate all the children with valium. After a few hours, the rising tide releases the boat back into the river, and... (full context)