Continental Drifter
The genre of middle grade graphic memoirs made popular by Raina Telgemeier seems to have finally started diversifying not only in subject matter but also in art style and voice. This debut graphic novel by cartoonist Kathy MacLeod not only explores her own unique experiences as a biracial tween, but also universal experiences of finding your place, navigating family relationships, and learning to build friendships.
For most of the year, Kathy lives with her Thai mother, older sister, and American father in Bangkok and attends the International School. She never feels like she belongs though, especially outside her English-speaking school, and she is increasingly bored and lonely at home where her mother works long hours and her sister is caught up in her own teen angst. What she really looks forward to, and constantly imagines in her diary, is spending her fourth summer in Maine where she feels like she really belongs. But when the time finally comes, she is anxious and worried, feeling for the first time like an outsider. She focuses all her dreams on her first summer camp, imagining that she will finally find friends who will see her for herself, but finds disappointment there, too. However, with the kind advice of her camp counselor, she manages to be kinder to herself. Her perspective continues to change when, just as the family is about to return to Thailand, she sneaks a peek at her older sister’s diary and realizes that she’s not the only person who feels out of place. This time, she counts down the hours as they return to Bangkok, accepting that she will always have homes in different places, with different things she misses about each one.
An afterword talks about how the story is the combined memories of many years, and includes photographs of the author’s family.
This is a very quiet, understated story, well-matched to MacLeod’s simple, plain art. The story is framed by her diary, with imagined excerpts shown in different places and the chapters divided by notebook paper. The story is illustrated in neutral colors—grays, beige, and white space, with clothing and outdoor features picked out in blues and greens. Readers can see how Kathy feels like she sticks out as the only biracial, Asian girl in her interactions in Maine, standing by as an observer. But more thoughtful readers will also pick up on the similarities between Kathy and the other girls, especially at camp, sparking thoughts about what it really means to include others. The thread of loneliness and solitude that runs through the story is emphasized by the static feel of the art; with only occasional movement and visible emotion, many of the panels look like posed photographs. Kathy’s gradual realization of how her family is different than others, not just in race and culture (which is frequently pointed out with various degrees of ignorance and unkindness by others) but in the way her parents relate to each other and to their children is shown through sequences of family interactions as she compares them to the relatives she meets in Maine or to her classmates in Bangkok.
There are frequent sequences of Kathy sitting quietly writing and drawing in her diary, reflecting on how much she doesn’t know about her parents and their relationship, trying to fit together the puzzles of her own identity, black and white memories and photographs drawn across the page like pieces of a puzzle. MacLeod doesn’t neglect the unique aspects of each country, with cute drawings of food, activities, and the landscape of each of her homes coming together as tween Kathy comes to accept her the different parts of herself and the places she calls home.
This is a very quiet story and readers expecting a lot of emotion or exciting moments will be disappointed. There are hints about her parents’ past experiences, including brief meetings with adult children from their previous marriages, but part of the way Kathy grows and changes is accepting that there is a lot about her parents and their decisions she doesn’t know—and maybe never will. Although quiet, this is a powerful story about belonging, accepting, and celebrating where you are, and that each family and their experiences are unique. Hand this to readers who will appreciate the reflective tone or use it as a book club title to generate thoughtful discussion.
Continental Drifter
By Kathy MacLeod
Macmillan First Second, 2024
ISBN: 9781250813732
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12 years
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Creator Representation: Thai-American,
Character Representation: Thai-American,
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