Yesterday I did something I never ever do: I left the house without a book. Panic set in a few minutes later as I got stuck with a flat tire and an unforeseen trip to the mechanic. After that, I had to go to the library, which is when the panic subsided but also where I found myself in a bit of a conundrum: I'm currently reading a sequel to one of the best books I've read all year, so I didn't want to interrupt it with another book, yet I also couldn't NOT read something. Then I saw Good Talk on the shelf and I knew that, as a graphic memoir, it would be the perfect placeholder.
For the first time ever, I can say that forgetting a book at home turned out to be a great mistake. Good Talk is one of the best graphic memoirs I have read to-date and from the very first page, it promoted itself from placeholder to "drop everything else, I have to read this entire book".
It begins with Mira's son, Z, asking her questions about race. (Mira is the daughter of immigrant parents, she is married to a white man, Jed, and her son is mixed race.) Z asks A LOT of questions, as most kids do, however there are rarely easy answers when it comes to topics such as race and politics. As Mira contemplates the complex questions her sons asks, she leads us back through her own journey of growing up as a non-white person in America. It's a story full of questioning herself, looking back at her roots, and analyzing how she comes across to others.
She grows up and becomes a writer in New York City. 9/11 happens and she is faced with terrible assumptions and accusations from strangers based on the colour of her skin alone. There were things that happened to her during this time that put a rock in my stomach. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the 9/11 section that put a rock there. There are lots of heavy spots. There were lots of rocks.
Mira's parents and her in-laws were quite different. Mira's parents' marriage was arranged. They were funny and engaging and had funny banter, like this, about successful marriages:
The graphic component of this graphic memoir is phenomenal. It's a unique combination of full-colour photographic backgrounds with Mira's drawings overlaid. It adds texture and dimension to her story and an extra personal quality that's not always evident in other graphic novels.
Throughout the book, intermixed with the stories of Mina's life, Z continues to ask questions. A lot of tough, thought-provoking questions. Intelligent, innocent questions. Questions a lot of adults would be hard pressed to answer. I have so much admiration for Mira Jacob and her life story. There are still no easy answers, especially in the horrifying worst-case-scenario political climate that the US is currently in, but what rises above it all is hope. Hope is the answer to all of the questions.
Judge the cover: 3/5
For the first time ever, I can say that forgetting a book at home turned out to be a great mistake. Good Talk is one of the best graphic memoirs I have read to-date and from the very first page, it promoted itself from placeholder to "drop everything else, I have to read this entire book".
It begins with Mira's son, Z, asking her questions about race. (Mira is the daughter of immigrant parents, she is married to a white man, Jed, and her son is mixed race.) Z asks A LOT of questions, as most kids do, however there are rarely easy answers when it comes to topics such as race and politics. As Mira contemplates the complex questions her sons asks, she leads us back through her own journey of growing up as a non-white person in America. It's a story full of questioning herself, looking back at her roots, and analyzing how she comes across to others.
She grows up and becomes a writer in New York City. 9/11 happens and she is faced with terrible assumptions and accusations from strangers based on the colour of her skin alone. There were things that happened to her during this time that put a rock in my stomach. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the 9/11 section that put a rock there. There are lots of heavy spots. There were lots of rocks.
Mira's parents and her in-laws were quite different. Mira's parents' marriage was arranged. They were funny and engaging and had funny banter, like this, about successful marriages:
"The problem with these Americans is they are always saying, "You're not who I married," and getting divorced."Mira's in-laws were loving, but their relationship with Mira and Jed became strained when the latest US election took place. Jed's parents were adamant about voting for Trump, ignoring his blatant racism, which made Mira feel sad and betrayed. Her in-laws shut down and didn't want to discuss it. Trump's victory was obviously devastating and a complete 180 from the celebration they had when Obama was voted in.
"Indians never do that. Why not?"
"Because we never knew each other in the first place!"
The graphic component of this graphic memoir is phenomenal. It's a unique combination of full-colour photographic backgrounds with Mira's drawings overlaid. It adds texture and dimension to her story and an extra personal quality that's not always evident in other graphic novels.
Throughout the book, intermixed with the stories of Mina's life, Z continues to ask questions. A lot of tough, thought-provoking questions. Intelligent, innocent questions. Questions a lot of adults would be hard pressed to answer. I have so much admiration for Mira Jacob and her life story. There are still no easy answers, especially in the horrifying worst-case-scenario political climate that the US is currently in, but what rises above it all is hope. Hope is the answer to all of the questions.
Judge the cover: 3/5
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