Stepping Stones

I love and have read almost all of Lucy Knisley's graphic novels, and this one is her first foray into fiction. Stepping Stones is the story of Jen, a teenage girl who does not get what she wants. When her parents get divorced, her mom and she move into the country, even though she prefers city life. She has to deal with her mother's annoying, know-it-all boyfriend who keeps calling her Jenny. She has to tend to chickens and also help run the stand at the weekly farmers market, even though she struggles mightily with math. Finally, she has to share her bedroom on weekends with her mom's boyfriend's two daughters, with the older one being the golden child who can do no wrong.

All of these adversities contribute to a story that vividly portrays the sorts of emotions that go along with Jen's situation. I very much appreciated how it shows them in a nuanced way where she does not merely come off as an entitled brat, but shows how she is a child caught up in the wake of adults' actions. Also, although Jen does find certain silver linings in her new life circumstances, not everything resolves so neatly. I think the message that life often entails disappointment and compromise is a realistic one that respects what its readers might be going through. It offers no false promises. All of these messages are really driven home not only by the main narrative but also by the copious author notes that follow where it comes out that much here is based on Knisley's own childhood experiences.

I really enjoyed the artwork, which was done with pencil and digitally colored by Whitney Cogar. This technique lends a slightly sketchy aspect to an otherwise clear and cartoony style, a bit of grit that feels right with this story. It is a great complement to Knisley's clearly impressive storytelling and character work. This tale is a very human one, and the artwork brings forth a great amount of personality and feeling.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise. Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Painfully realistic, this is a strong addition to the middle-grade shelf." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Knisley balances humor and deeply felt emotion to capture the particular unfairness of being a child at the mercy of parental decisions." Also, in a cool piece of synergy, half of the latest issue of PanelxPanel (#35) is dedicated to interviews and articles related to the book. Knisley speaks more about her work on Stepping Stones in this interview.

Stepping Stones was published by Random House Graphic, and they offer more info about it here. The book is solicited as also being Peapod Farm #1, whiich I hope means we'll get more books with these characters. I'd be glad to see how these characters cope with each other going forward.

Kid Gloves

Lucy Knisley is one of my favorite graphic novel creators, and I am a big fan of her prior graphic memoirs Relish, about her love affair with food, and Something New, about getting married. This book follows the progression of the classic song: first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage. But Kid Gloves is a book that covers some wide ground, making it more than a simple graphic memoir. It contains a lot of medical information about pregnancy and pregnancy-adjacent topics like birth control and miscarriages, and those passages sit right alongside the biographical ones. In a way, it makes the book a little disjointed, as it hops from topic to topic, but it also makes it simultaneously useful, informative, evocative, and entertaining.

My wife and I have three children, and each one had a different story in terms of their birth. One of the things we've learned is that almost everyone who is a parent has a unique story about the conception and birth of a child, and those stories may or may not be instructive or informative. What I like about this book is that it talks frankly about having difficulties with conception, often accompanied by frustration and grief. It also delves deeply into the oft-stigmatized experience of miscarriages. It even shows how birthing can have its complications, and how the after-effects of childbirth can be varied and sometimes hazardous.

Knisley shares a lot about her life, and reading this book almost gives the feeling that the reader knows her, she is that intimate. I feel there is much here that can help a person or people struggling with aspects of becoming a parent in any number of ways. It shows that it is not always a simple, joyful, and easy path to parenthood. It does not sugar-coat the process, although it does tell its story with a lot of heart and humor.

The reviews of this book I have read leaned positive. Josh Kramer called it "a good read, full of pieces that work on their own while telling the story of Knisley’s pregnancy. It may be prone to tangents, but it’s very likely to have a real impact on readers." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Despite its tonal problems, the book is worth reading for Knisley’s fierce wit, strong point of view, and well-paced storytelling." Caitlin Rosberg opined, "While Knisley’s honesty about both the best and worst parts of pregnancy are compelling, what elevates the book to a must-read for those who want kids or love people who do is the context in which she places her personal experience."

Kid Gloves was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Something New

Something New is the latest book by Lucy Knisley, whose memoir Relish was one of my favorite books of 2013. Like all of her works I have read, this book is also autobiographical, an account of her relationship with her husband-to-be John as well as their unique wedding. It is full of her trademark personality: original, quirky, nerdy, and funny. I love how she is very honest and unassuming about herself and her life, and her voice comes through so strongly its palpable.

What's also excellent about this book is that it is not just a personal tale, but it also explores questions about why people get married, why certain customs exist, and how marriages typically play out. Also, there are a few places where she explains strange wedding customs or gives other interesting or amusing factoids. It works very well not just as a story about marriage but also a commentary on marriage as an institution.

I am not going to lie. I loved this book. And after reading it, I want to hang out with her and her husband, and I am sort of bummed that I do not know them at all. And perhaps my favorite bits are where she includes actual photographs of the events, which highlight the moments she captures so well in her storytelling.This book is at once intimate and universal, while also being entertaining and funny. It's utterly heartwarming in the best sense of the word.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive.  Oliver Sava praised "the clean, expressive style that makes Knisley’s work so rich and engaging." Kirkus Reviews called it "a visual and emotional achievement." Publishers Weekly stated that Knisley "has a knack for presenting a highly precise type of whimsy that stops just shy of precious overkill."

Something New was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more available here.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

As a fan of shows like Chopped, Top Chef, and No Reservations, this was a graphic novel right up my alley. Lucy Knisley's account of growing up with a mother who is a catering chef and a father who is a foodie is an excellent concoction of memory, food, humor, and reflection. She illustrated vignettes from her various points in life, including participating in an upstate New York farmers market, a trip to Italy with her father, experiments with cooking on a budget in art school, and the trials and tribulations of entering puberty while on vacation in Mexico.

All along the way, her memories are mingled with the smells and tastes of food, the joys of which she communicates well, even though we cannot experience them directly ourselves. From crunching on tomatillos, to savoring particular jam-filled croissants, even enjoying guilty, non-gourmet (gasp!) treats like McDonald's french fries, she takes the reader on a journey that is simultaneously familiar, informative, and adventurous. In what is perhaps the best touch, she also provides recipes in each chapter for such diverse foods as carbonara, chocolate chip cookies, pesto, sangria, huevos rancheros, and sushi rolls.

The art in this book is vibrant, lively, and intelligent. Artist/writer Lucy Knisley is a Renaissance woman who sings and draws. Relish is her second graphic novel, the first being French Milk, a travelogue about a six-week trip to Paris. She speaks more about her life and works in this interview. She also occasionally blogs here.

Because of the atypical (for a graphic novel) subject matter, I have seen reviews for this book from some diverse sources. They have been resoundingly positive. Renee Shelton wrote about it, "This book makes for a quick read as her stories are hard to put down once you start and the comic book style illustrations make it easy to digest." Seth T. Hahne stated that the book fulfilled two goals for him: "1. Make Lucy Knisley seem like an awesome person with an infectious love for food." and "2. Infect the reader with that love for food." Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and concluded, "this is a book that teenagers and parents will savor in equal measure." For me, reading this book was a joyful experience, like a breath of fresh air coming from a bakery.

A preview and more are available here from the book's publisher First Second.

A big thank you to Gina for the review copy!