Must-Read Graphic Memoirs

In this new biography, Alexis Pauline Gumbs explores the life of Audre Lorde. Gumbs is the first biographer to take full advantage of Lorde’s archives, making Survival Is a Promise a stunning portrait of this monumental writer.

Chris La Tray always knew he was Indigenous, even if his father never acknowledged it, but it wasn’t until he was at his father’s funeral that he seriously began looking into his family’s past. Becoming Little Shell follows La Tray’s experience finding and learning more about his tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and its 150-year history of seeking federal recognition.

In Good Talk, Mira Jacob describes how her son asked her why his Jewish paternal grandparents would vote for Trump, a man who hated immigrants, like Mira and her parents. This question launches her into even more questions that she’s not quite sure how to answer. She works through these conversations in Good Talk, illustrating them on the page and giving readers a fuller picture. I read this graphic memoir while waiting for a delayed flight at the airport. I felt consumed, and barely even noticed spending the extra four hours surrounded by disgruntled passengers.

Roz Chast’s parents have lived in the same apartment for decades. As her parents age, she begins to think through how she will care for them when they get older and how she wants to spend as much time with them as possible. But her parents want to have nothing to do with any of these conversations. With her classic sense of humor, Chast captures the ridiculous moments of a very difficult time in her life. This graphic memoir is so good, no wonder it was a finalist for the National Book Award.