I Am Woman

~posted by Kara

I was never a die-hard fan of graphic novels or comics. I remember in high school I was convinced by a friend to read Peach Girl and I found it entertaining enough, but not enough to turn me into a fangirl. As I get older, and I find less time to sit and read, every now and again to get my fix of the written word I’ve given in to the short and sweet satisfaction of a good graphic novel. My usual habit is to seek out strong female characters, or at least ones willing to admit they aren’t perfect.

I enjoyed these graphic novels from our collection for that very thing:

Make Me a Woman by Vanessa Davis

Being single and Jewish is the overarching theme to this graphic novel, but what I enjoyed most was the concept of faith as a twenty-something. Balancing that need for tradition and home, but understanding your own limitations. I myself have struggled not with lack of faith, but with how it fits into my everyday life, with my family’s idea of faith, with my friends understanding of faith. She also struggles with single-dom like we all do and the challenge in leaving home to find who you really are.

But I Really Wanted to Be an Anthropologist by Margaux Motin

Although some of the content of this book seemed a bit superficial there were moments where I found myself laughing out loud in agreement. On the journey to who we are as women, to who we will become, we all take different routes; so with that in mind Margaux’s graphic novel was a great and beautifully illustrated read.  She juggles being a mom, being in a relationship, being a woman and in the back of her mind remembers what her child self wished to be.

My Most Secret Desire by Julie Doucet

Dreams are weird and although some Julie’s come off a bit extreme we have to admit we’ve all had some pretty messed up ones. Sometimes I even found myself cringing, but she’s so utterly truthful and brilliant in her delivery that I couldn’t hold it against her. That’s what art is supposed to do; push us and prod us whether we like it or not! Feeling any emotion means a job well done.