Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor

There is an avalanche of true crime and mystery narratives lately, but Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor stands out for its offbeat set up and strong characters. Rebecca is a new mom, and she is wary of her maternity leave running out and not getting to spend so much time with her 8-month-old daughter Lucie. One night, after breast-feeding her daughter, she sees a couple of people loading something heavy into a white van and thinks nothing of it. Days later, a local homecare worker is reported missing and her alarm bells start going off. In small pockets of time, between caring for her daughter and shopping around for daycare options (a bittersweet occurrence), she begins her own investigation.

The local police and her social worker husband seem skeptical of her efforts, and the family of the older woman who received care from the missing person begin to cry harassment, but Rebecca persists in her quest. 

What follows is an interesting series of events, some trails pay off while others are dead ends. In all, this book is great because it tells a compelling mystery while also shedding insight into what it is like to be a parent/spouse/worker in these times. This book is deceptively simple, both in terms of its spare but colorful artwork and streamlined story, but it pays off as a unique and fun genre piece. I could easily see (and would look forward to) there being future adventures of these sleuths.

Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor was created by Pascal Girard, a part-time social worker and cartoonist. He has published a number of other graphic novels, including Nicolas, Bigfoot, Reunion, and Petty Theft. Girard speaks about his craft in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Rachel Cooke appreciated how Rebecca is based on Girard's wife and "that this sweet, funny book is a tribute to her courage, her determination and, above all, her wit." Publishers Weekly wrote that it  "succeeds as both a mystery and a chronicle of day-to-day parenthood. Readers won’t be disappointed if this evolves into a series of offbeat mother-daughter mysteries." Brian Nicholson called it "a breezy romp, coming in at under a hundred pages, and featuring attractive, accessible cartooning."

Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer a preview and much more here. This book was originally published in French and was translated by Aleshia Jensen.

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.