Staff Picks (December): DISPLACEMENT

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

Traveling can be stressful in any scenario, but have you ever traveled with the responsibility of caretaking for elderly loved ones?

Displacement, the latest installment in New York Times-bestselling cartoonist Lucy Knisley’s graphic memoirs, tells of a family outing as Lucy escapes the bitter New York City winter and volunteers to safeguard her grandparents on a cruise of the Caribbean. Reflecting on her grandfather’s WWII memoir while on the cruise, Knisley is given a view into their lives as they try to connect. Unsure of what this trip will bring, she capitalizes on the idea of getting to spend quality time with her aging family members.

As anyone that has traveled with older relatives can expect, not everything goes according to plan. Lucy confronts a mix of emotions. Love, frustration, sorrow, happiness- all of these feelings are genuinely captured in this beautiful tale.

Knisley’s art soothes and welcomes the reader, softening the difficulties of both travel and connecting with grandparents. The clever uses of water coloring are gorgeous to view. Her witty, honest sense of humor is a breath of fresh air and the true, engaging story of getting to know family warms the heart. Grandparents are not around forever, and Knisley basks in the bittersweet, wonderful time that she is able to share with them.

~ Jonathan McKinney