Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Written by Laura Gao
Illustrated by Laura Gao
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars—at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.
In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.
Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao’s debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.
Primary ISBN: 9780063067776
Publication Date: March 2022
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Graphic Novel, Graphic Memoir, Young Adult, Age 14 or older
Community Represented: Chinese/Chinese American, Wuhanese/Wuhanese American
Themes: Coming of Age, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Discrimination: Language Ability, Discrimination: Racial, Engagement Tool: Video, Family Relationship: Parents, Graphic Novel, Immigrant: Reunion of Family, LGBTQIA+, Multilingual Character, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: United States (Texas)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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