Breadcrumbs
Poland is born anew in the late 1980s. Like most births, it’s messy. Post-Soviet Poland has transitioned to a capitalist economy, leaving 
deep trenches of flux and discord in its wake. Inflation is sky high, entire neighborhoods are left jobless, and there isn’t enough food to go around.
Breadcrumbs is the memoir of Kasia Babis, who was born in and grew up during this time of massive change. Her dedication goes out to her closest friends, as they “survived being girls together.” It’s a hard-hitting statement. To an American reader (like myself), this is already a difficult thing. To someone who had to survive being a girl and in a country in political and cultural disarray, well, that just builds better character, right?
Babis fights her way through adolescence, forges her personal beliefs against the backdrop of a fiercely Catholic country, and wades through the misinformation, nationalism, economic upheaval, and hard truths about her life and friends in a post-Soviet world. This story is about growing up in a rapidly-changing world and how some people choose to cope. Some get swept along, others self-medicate, and Babis chooses to become active in protests. It is a compelling story, and has a somewhat harrowing ending.
I’m a big fan of minimalist color palettes and Babis keeps it very simple with washed out grays and splotches of red here and there – sometimes to denote importance, sometimes not. It’s a color combination I have seen generate fear and stark contrast, but the book is still full of friendly faces. There is a nice hand-drawn quality to the uneven, thick lines that border each panel and figure. The drawings depicting Babis and her story are a little evocative of the work of Kate Beaton (largely realistic with some cartoonish elements), which I only mention because of the sections that detail history. These panels are done with careful attention to the physical details of the historical figures they describe and result in a colder, more detached style.
Breadcrumbs’ narrative touches on a lot of subjects and topics that younger readers might not understand or be ready for; complex ideas like communism vs. capitalism vs. democratic socialism, separation of government powers, generational trauma, domestic violence, abortion, women’s rights, and men’s issues. The publisher, 23rd St. (an imprint of Roaring Book Press) states specifically its works are “for grown-ups.” I think this narrative casts a slightly wider net than that – I bet high school readers would find a lot to chew on. Otherwise, keep this one on the tall shelves for other adult readers. It’s a gripping memoir in the vein of Persepolis and The Best We Could Do.
Breadcrumbs
By Kasia Babis
23rd Street, 2025
ISBN: 9781250877871
Publisher Age Recommendation: Adult
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult, High school
Character Representation: Polish
Breadcrumbs Coming of Age in Post-Soviet Poland
By Kasia Babis
23rd St., 2025
ISBN: 9781250877871
Company Age Rating: 18+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Polish,
Character Representation: Polish,
