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Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Graphic Novels & Comics (2022)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.
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.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
About the author
Laura Gao
3 books85 followersLaura Gao is a Chinese-American comics artist. Gao became famous when she released a short comic called "The Wuhan I Know" in response to the growing sinophobia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comic was later used as the basis for her graphic memoir called Messy Roots, released in March 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 765 reviews
March 29, 2022
Identity is a complex idea, something author/illustrator Laura Gao unpacks in her moving graphic memoir Messy Roots. Coming from Wuhan, China to live in Texas at the age of 4, Gao delivers her life story full of ups and downs, self-discovery, feeling the suffocation of family and place and eventually life on her own in college and onwards. Wuhan became a well-known name in recent years, and Gao’s personal journey through an immigrant and queer identity becomes entangled with the anti-Asian discrimination that violently rose during COVID-19, though the bulk of this memoir is focused on Gao’s life up until this point in time. This is an excellent book with bold, expressive art that really brings the story to life and pushes it along through scenes that will have you laughing, crying and getting to know Gao.
First, I love the art here. It is very loose and can adapt to any emotion or tone, and the bright bold colors—mostly only yellow, red and blue—really pop on the page. There are gorgeous landscapes in here and the style shifts often while still always feeling distinctly of the author. This book covers a lot of territory and the art pulls it all together and keeps the pace moving along. It begins with Yuyang Gao growing up with her grandparents in Wuhan before coming to live with her parents in Texas, as they had immigrated when she was born for grad school. She is symbolically renamed Laura, after at-the-time First Lady Laura Bush, which begins a long commentary streaming through the book of the ways in which she feels Americanized and “white-washed” while simultaneously being very aware she is Othered for being Asian. This will take on a more frightening tone in 2020, with Lauren and her family discussing the growing attacks on Asians in the US as well as illustrations of news feeds bursting with stories about the incidents to drive home how terrifying of a time this was and continues to be.
Gao’s story is quite moving and will appeal to fans of books such as Almost American Girl by Robin Ha, except here there is also the element of Gao discovering her sexuality and grappling with a lesbian identity. This makes fitting in even more difficult at times for her with rejections and working towards acceptance while being apprehensive about coming out to her parents. This book covers the staples of any good coming-of-age narrative, and things really take off once Gao leaves to attend Penn State. Gao tells the story of the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e who escapes a ‘suffocating home’, which parallels Gao’s own narrative.
This is a lovely book and Gao’s story is sure to touch anyone’s heart.
4.5/5
First, I love the art here. It is very loose and can adapt to any emotion or tone, and the bright bold colors—mostly only yellow, red and blue—really pop on the page. There are gorgeous landscapes in here and the style shifts often while still always feeling distinctly of the author. This book covers a lot of territory and the art pulls it all together and keeps the pace moving along. It begins with Yuyang Gao growing up with her grandparents in Wuhan before coming to live with her parents in Texas, as they had immigrated when she was born for grad school. She is symbolically renamed Laura, after at-the-time First Lady Laura Bush, which begins a long commentary streaming through the book of the ways in which she feels Americanized and “white-washed” while simultaneously being very aware she is Othered for being Asian. This will take on a more frightening tone in 2020, with Lauren and her family discussing the growing attacks on Asians in the US as well as illustrations of news feeds bursting with stories about the incidents to drive home how terrifying of a time this was and continues to be.
Gao’s story is quite moving and will appeal to fans of books such as Almost American Girl by Robin Ha, except here there is also the element of Gao discovering her sexuality and grappling with a lesbian identity. This makes fitting in even more difficult at times for her with rejections and working towards acceptance while being apprehensive about coming out to her parents. This book covers the staples of any good coming-of-age narrative, and things really take off once Gao leaves to attend Penn State. Gao tells the story of the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e who escapes a ‘suffocating home’, which parallels Gao’s own narrative.
This is a lovely book and Gao’s story is sure to touch anyone’s heart.
4.5/5
October 12, 2023
I liked this graphic memoir about a queer Wuhanese American’s coming of age. Laura Gao portrays her journey to self-acceptance, especially pertaining to her racial identity after growing up in a predominantly white town. I appreciated Gao’s honesty about confronting her internalized racism, in particular when she moved from Texas to Philadelphia for college. She doesn’t sacrifice complexity in this memoir either; she writes and draws with honesty in relation to her complex dynamic with her father. At the same time, her story exemplifies the importance of embracing and loving oneself and one’s roots, and it’s wonderful that she’s able to honor her heritage and her parents even if her relationship with her father isn’t 100% perfect.
This felt like an easy read, though not in a negative way. For some reason I wanted a bit more punch, though perhaps that would’ve detracted from Gao’s story. Either way, an enjoyable graphic novel that Asian immigrants to the United States may relate to.
This felt like an easy read, though not in a negative way. For some reason I wanted a bit more punch, though perhaps that would’ve detracted from Gao’s story. Either way, an enjoyable graphic novel that Asian immigrants to the United States may relate to.
May 11, 2022
Another non-fiction graphic memoir to add to your list. I absolutely adored the first account experience that Gao gives about growing up in Wuhan and then moving to the United States. There are conversations about familial traditions and expectations, identity in a white supremist society, queerness, the anti-Asian racism that reached new heights during the pandemic, and more. I even enjoyed the artwork which felt like sketches (this aligned with the pacing of the story). The biggest hic up that I faced in reading this book was it's quickness. Gao introduces some pretty complex themes and, for me, it felt as though readers are rushed through the book. I like that there was an emphasis on how the past influences the present and future; however, there was some part of me that wanted more discussion and more exploration. I don't want to disregard the fact that further exploration of these difficult topics could have been something that Gao didn't want to put on page, I simply feel like I enjoyed their storytelling and perspective so much that I wanted more. Overall, this is another interesting non-fiction graphic memoir to check out. I'll be interested in seeing what Gao does next.
December 6, 2022
A breezy, energetic, and pleasing autobiography of a Chinese American immigrant. Laura Gao has a fairly interesting life and has a lot to say about it; I only wish she had slowed down to delve a bit more into a few of the many issues raised: racism, assimilation, COVID, LGBTQ+, and generation gaps. As it is, she races past intriguing moments and big ideas, barely letting family and friends poke their heads in.
I do look forward to seeing what she does next.
(In the realm of fun coincidences, this is the second -- and much better -- book I've read this week about Asian American school girls playing basketball. The first was Bounce Back.)
I do look forward to seeing what she does next.
(In the realm of fun coincidences, this is the second -- and much better -- book I've read this week about Asian American school girls playing basketball. The first was Bounce Back.)
November 25, 2021
2021 Fall Bingo (#FallInLoveBingo🍂): Sapphic Rep
A beautifully illustrated memoir about Laura Gao's first gen immigrant experience, including discussion about anti-Asian racism during COVID-19. Highly recommended for anyone interested in queer Asian graphic novels — I particularly loved the allusion to Gene Luen Yang's American-Born Chinese.
I didn't expect to relate to this comic as much as I did, considering I was born to Indian parents in Singapore and the author was born in Wuhan, China. Completely different cultural and geographic experiences. But we're the exact same age and we both moved to the United States before kindergarten, so perhaps the similarities aren't that surprising. It was... unnerving. Not in a bad way. In a "I need to sit with my feelings and process" way. I guess some aspects of the Asian-American experience in majority-white schools are universal.
Not writing a review right now because of the need to process, but I want to praise Gao's depiction of Wuhan. I confess I didn't know a lot about the city before last year, but I love how the comic brings Wuhan's architecture and bustling crowds to life with a distinct artistic style (the American panels are illustrated differently). The author's loving memories of Wuhan are tremendously moving and the best part of the comic.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A beautifully illustrated memoir about Laura Gao's first gen immigrant experience, including discussion about anti-Asian racism during COVID-19. Highly recommended for anyone interested in queer Asian graphic novels — I particularly loved the allusion to Gene Luen Yang's American-Born Chinese.
I didn't expect to relate to this comic as much as I did, considering I was born to Indian parents in Singapore and the author was born in Wuhan, China. Completely different cultural and geographic experiences. But we're the exact same age and we both moved to the United States before kindergarten, so perhaps the similarities aren't that surprising. It was... unnerving. Not in a bad way. In a "I need to sit with my feelings and process" way. I guess some aspects of the Asian-American experience in majority-white schools are universal.
Not writing a review right now because of the need to process, but I want to praise Gao's depiction of Wuhan. I confess I didn't know a lot about the city before last year, but I love how the comic brings Wuhan's architecture and bustling crowds to life with a distinct artistic style (the American panels are illustrated differently). The author's loving memories of Wuhan are tremendously moving and the best part of the comic.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2022
The author writes of an idyllic childhood spent in Wuhan, China, surrounded by cousins, grandparents, and countryside. This time was interrupted by a move to Texas when the author was four years old, and then years of trying to fit in at primarily white elementary schools and high schools. Laura only began to find an Asian community, and a queer community, in college and afterwards when living in San Francisco in her first shared apartment with a group of POC friends. Drawn in a lively, energic style with limited colors and humorous asides, this memoir untangles some of the challenges of identity that come from home meaning many vastly different places and cultures. A fast, enjoyable read!
February 11, 2023
Congrats to the Harper Collins Union workers for getting Harper Collins to come to the table with a tentative agreement! Happy to finally get this review back up! https://twitter.com/hcpunion/status/1...
*******
I always enjoy graphic novel memoirs where the author is also the artist, because their personality often comes through in the art, making for a personal and interesting story. Gao's art is pretty sketchy here, a bit simple at times, but the color work is lovely, and at times she does some really great pieces to show some more emotionally complex themes.
As for the writing, I enjoyed Gao's storytelling. She's very open about the racism she experienced growing up, but doesn't shy away from showing that she had internalized some of that herself. The pacing felt a bit too fast, but with Gao covering basically her entire life in one graphic novel, it's understandable.
I thought the inclusion of COVID-19 would be a turn off for me because I am definitely personally not in a place where I can face that in what I read, but it was actually pretty minimal here. Enough to show how Gao was affected by it, but not much more than that.
Overall, this was another to add to the list of great graphic memoirs.
*******
I always enjoy graphic novel memoirs where the author is also the artist, because their personality often comes through in the art, making for a personal and interesting story. Gao's art is pretty sketchy here, a bit simple at times, but the color work is lovely, and at times she does some really great pieces to show some more emotionally complex themes.
As for the writing, I enjoyed Gao's storytelling. She's very open about the racism she experienced growing up, but doesn't shy away from showing that she had internalized some of that herself. The pacing felt a bit too fast, but with Gao covering basically her entire life in one graphic novel, it's understandable.
I thought the inclusion of COVID-19 would be a turn off for me because I am definitely personally not in a place where I can face that in what I read, but it was actually pretty minimal here. Enough to show how Gao was affected by it, but not much more than that.
Overall, this was another to add to the list of great graphic memoirs.
Read
April 23, 2022*i don’t rate memoirs
did i just read someone else’s memoir about my own life
did i just read someone else’s memoir about my own life
August 6, 2022
"It just means your roots are strong."
I always feel so weird rating autobiographies or memoirs. Because it feels weird to rate someone's life, basically. So that's not what I'm doing here - I'm rating the way Laura Gao delivered her story.
And she did an amazing job.
The artwork is so friendly, detailed, and colorful throughout. I loved the way Gao took us through her life in, more often than not, very unique styles. The video game "select your character" screen was a nice touch. The way Gao talks about growing up in Wuhan, moving to America, dealing with being an immigrant, and realizing that she's queer are all so powerful. And that last page... I'm getting chills all over my body just thinking about it. Gorgeous.
5/5 stars.
I always feel so weird rating autobiographies or memoirs. Because it feels weird to rate someone's life, basically. So that's not what I'm doing here - I'm rating the way Laura Gao delivered her story.
And she did an amazing job.
The artwork is so friendly, detailed, and colorful throughout. I loved the way Gao took us through her life in, more often than not, very unique styles. The video game "select your character" screen was a nice touch. The way Gao talks about growing up in Wuhan, moving to America, dealing with being an immigrant, and realizing that she's queer are all so powerful. And that last page... I'm getting chills all over my body just thinking about it. Gorgeous.
5/5 stars.
July 26, 2022
📚 Hello Book Friends! I was looking forward to reading MESSY ROOTS by Laura Gao and getting a perspective on COVID by someone who is from Wuhan, China. The book had a bit about that but it was more a memoir about Laura’s life from the time she moved from Wuhan to the USA as a child to her early twenties. The illustrations are beautiful and express many feelings. I love that she always used a red t-shirt to describe herself in the story. Overall, it was enjoyable and educational.
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May 28, 2024
I appreciated how witty and light this memoir was, even as it dealt with real and vital subject matter. I think the playful illustration style, and storytelling would easily engage teens even if they're reluctant readers, while also educating them.
This book provided some valuable insight for me as a white person in a very white land, who has never really moved or traveled very much. I have very little experience with being perceived as other, or what it's like to try and find a cohesive sense of self across oceans/cultures/languages. My roots, unlike Laura's are not very messy.
I also found "Messy Roots" to be helpful in understanding the experiences of Asian people being targeted/blamed in the wake Covid. Sprinkle in some queer elements, and funny stories of childhood mischief, and you've got yourself a stew going. Fascinating stuff!
This book provided some valuable insight for me as a white person in a very white land, who has never really moved or traveled very much. I have very little experience with being perceived as other, or what it's like to try and find a cohesive sense of self across oceans/cultures/languages. My roots, unlike Laura's are not very messy.
I also found "Messy Roots" to be helpful in understanding the experiences of Asian people being targeted/blamed in the wake Covid. Sprinkle in some queer elements, and funny stories of childhood mischief, and you've got yourself a stew going. Fascinating stuff!
November 1, 2021
This book was a delight that I think is so necessary after recent global events. After the politicization of the pandemic which placed blame for its origins in Wuhan, China, there has been a global uptick in discrimination and violence against Asian people. In Gao's book, not only does she illustrate a more nuanced and less stereotyped Wuhan, but she conveys the difficulty of being at once a part of American society yet not truly. In this often funny and witty graphic novel, the reader watches Gao grow up dealing with common challenges for immigrants in American society. While I feel informed about most of the experiences she's gone through, I appreciated the format, the illustrations, the humor, and the honesty in this piece. It would be a great piece to house on my shelves at school.
May 11, 2022
A story that has been told better about an immigrant child trying to fit in a new country and life. In this case, Laura has moved from Wuhan China to Texas, where she has to learn a new language in a racist town, where nobody has the same dreams. She learns that education is a way to escape, but then has to deal with the hatred of Asians generated by COVID-19. One last battle is that Laura discovers she is attracted to her own gender, which is a cultural problem, which she has trouble discussing with her family and relatives, both at home and overseas. I found the time and country jumping to be distracting.
May 21, 2023
A moving, honest and heartfelt queer coming of age graphic memoir about a Chinese American girl born in Wuhan, China who grew up in Texas and only found herself after she graduated college and moved to San Francisco for work. Tender and unflinchingly honest, the author doesn't shy away from anti-Asian racism, the challenges of pleasing first generation Chinese parents and the extra burdens of life in America during/post COVID. Full of great artwork, this was perfect for fans of books like Almost American girl by Robin Ha.
April 17, 2022
CW/TW: micro-agressions, racism, homophobia, consumption of alcohol
Rep: Chinese-American LGBT+ main character, BIPOC side characters, Chinese diaspora
Messy Roots, a graphic novel-memoir by Laura Gao, illustrates her life between, as she calls them, the three parts of the her world: "the skies " (Texas), "the cosmos" (Wuhan), and "the seas" (San Francisco). Migrating from Wuhan, China to Texas, USA, Gao navigates the complexities of being an immigrant child before being thrown into a tailspin when COVID-19 arrives at her doorstep. Gao is simply a girl who wants to make the basketball team, escape weekend Chinese lessons, and figure out why girls give her stomach butterflies. It is a love letter to anyone trying to find themselves - culturally, historically and romantically. An equal parts hilarious and equal parts heart-wrenching story, I devoured Messy Roots in one day.
You know when you pick up a book and you know it was written for someone who is just like you? When you can feel the character's struggles wholly and completely - from their convoluted cultural identity, to trying to distance themselves from the perceived 'unsavory' aspects of their background, to the childhood dog-whistles that only certain immigrant kids would understand: sewing supplies in biscuit tins, linguistic micro-aggressions, to specific candy (white rabbit! haw flakes!). Gao integrates Pokémon, 90's video game references, and even the popular game of M*A*S*H into her story-telling, rendering it more layered and complex depending on the reader. Highly recommend this one.
Thank you Pride Book Tours, Harper360 YA and Laura Gao for a #gifted copy of this graphic novel.
Rep: Chinese-American LGBT+ main character, BIPOC side characters, Chinese diaspora
Messy Roots, a graphic novel-memoir by Laura Gao, illustrates her life between, as she calls them, the three parts of the her world: "the skies " (Texas), "the cosmos" (Wuhan), and "the seas" (San Francisco). Migrating from Wuhan, China to Texas, USA, Gao navigates the complexities of being an immigrant child before being thrown into a tailspin when COVID-19 arrives at her doorstep. Gao is simply a girl who wants to make the basketball team, escape weekend Chinese lessons, and figure out why girls give her stomach butterflies. It is a love letter to anyone trying to find themselves - culturally, historically and romantically. An equal parts hilarious and equal parts heart-wrenching story, I devoured Messy Roots in one day.
You know when you pick up a book and you know it was written for someone who is just like you? When you can feel the character's struggles wholly and completely - from their convoluted cultural identity, to trying to distance themselves from the perceived 'unsavory' aspects of their background, to the childhood dog-whistles that only certain immigrant kids would understand: sewing supplies in biscuit tins, linguistic micro-aggressions, to specific candy (white rabbit! haw flakes!). Gao integrates Pokémon, 90's video game references, and even the popular game of M*A*S*H into her story-telling, rendering it more layered and complex depending on the reader. Highly recommend this one.
Thank you Pride Book Tours, Harper360 YA and Laura Gao for a #gifted copy of this graphic novel.
March 14, 2022
The thing about being either a child of immigrants, or an immigrant yourself, at least in the U.S., is that you try your darndest to fit in. You want to be liked. You want to be “normal”. Unlike children whose families have been here for generations, and can afford be a little strange, you do not have that luxury.
Laura Gao’s Messy Roots is about her life first as a small child in Wuhan, while her parents were going to college in the US, to when she came to live with them in Texas, and had to learn to fit into a new life there, in the very white part of town, where she was the only Asian.
The book follows her, up until just about the time of the beginning of the global pandemic, and the increase in Asian hate. Through it all, she is trying to claim herself, her identity. This is always tricky, because, while you want to fit in, you also want to find yourself.
This is one of those graphic memoirs that I will probably have to read several times to get things I missed the first time through.
Very deep, but with humor as well. There was a page where she is saying that if she couldn’t date a doctor, then a rocket scientist should work just as well for her parents.
Highly recommend this. All the stars. (five) for this.
Laura Gao’s Messy Roots is about her life first as a small child in Wuhan, while her parents were going to college in the US, to when she came to live with them in Texas, and had to learn to fit into a new life there, in the very white part of town, where she was the only Asian.
The book follows her, up until just about the time of the beginning of the global pandemic, and the increase in Asian hate. Through it all, she is trying to claim herself, her identity. This is always tricky, because, while you want to fit in, you also want to find yourself.
This is one of those graphic memoirs that I will probably have to read several times to get things I missed the first time through.
Very deep, but with humor as well. There was a page where she is saying that if she couldn’t date a doctor, then a rocket scientist should work just as well for her parents.
Highly recommend this. All the stars. (five) for this.
March 13, 2022
so beautiful! incredible illustration and lovely storytelling!
March 14, 2022
haha I def felt like a dirtbag for being like "oh Wuhan, like where COVID started" and then this memoir starts with her being like "everyone associates Wuhan with COVID." SORRY but, in good news, now I will instead associate with this great book! It's a really funny and charming memoir with a lot of cute pop culture references. I love her drawing childhood battles and schemes in the style of Pokemon and Super Smash Bros challenges. There's a universality to her specificity--I obviously don't know what it's like to grown up Asian American in Texas but I can still relate to her story.
The style and story will, dare I say it, ~appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier~ and beyond.
The style and story will, dare I say it, ~appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier~ and beyond.
April 22, 2022
I enjoyed this graphic memoir of a young Chinese-American coming of age. There are lots of important themes explored, and I especially appreciated the Wuhan/Covid-19 angle.
While my library didn't label this YA, I think it would work especially well for that age group. Coming to terms with who you are when you don't seem to fit anywhere will resonant with most readers, though I do wish the author had done a deeper dive into the themes explored. I liked the illustration style, and this is quite good for a debut. I'll certainly keep an eye out for future works Ms. Gao releases.
While my library didn't label this YA, I think it would work especially well for that age group. Coming to terms with who you are when you don't seem to fit anywhere will resonant with most readers, though I do wish the author had done a deeper dive into the themes explored. I liked the illustration style, and this is quite good for a debut. I'll certainly keep an eye out for future works Ms. Gao releases.
Want to read
November 1, 2021So, um, this sounds AMAZING
November 18, 2022
I could not stop once I started this book. This is the fast-paced autobiography of the author Yang-Yang, who Americanized her name to Laura when she came to Texas at pre-school age. She tired of the stereotyped comments to her all through school and into college. But her world awoke at Penn as she realized much better who she liked and what she wanted out of life. Her loving, smart parents had traditional Chinese values that always had Laura striving to be who her parents wanted her to be.
She came out to her true friends, and had a great little brother that only cared that he could now talk 'girls' with his older sister. People that come out always hear "it gets better", but it all happens too slowly. This book squeezes time into a very friendly yet real story of ups and downs that shows how this 'better' world really does (eventually) exist.
She was born in Whuhan way before COVID. But being Asian AND from Whuhan returned the middle-school-level harassment once again in her adult life. She oscillated in her youth about being Chinese, then doing all she could to 'fit in' during high school as an American, wishing she could skip her Sunday Chinese classes to appease her parents. Only to then take extra Chinese classes in college to regain her proud international traits.
As an adult, her struggling relationship with her parents dissolved as they opened up to each other.
The author is still quite young, so this is an unfinished story. But that is the beauty here as it ends on such an optimistic forward-looking note!
She came out to her true friends, and had a great little brother that only cared that he could now talk 'girls' with his older sister. People that come out always hear "it gets better", but it all happens too slowly. This book squeezes time into a very friendly yet real story of ups and downs that shows how this 'better' world really does (eventually) exist.
She was born in Whuhan way before COVID. But being Asian AND from Whuhan returned the middle-school-level harassment once again in her adult life. She oscillated in her youth about being Chinese, then doing all she could to 'fit in' during high school as an American, wishing she could skip her Sunday Chinese classes to appease her parents. Only to then take extra Chinese classes in college to regain her proud international traits.
As an adult, her struggling relationship with her parents dissolved as they opened up to each other.
The author is still quite young, so this is an unfinished story. But that is the beauty here as it ends on such an optimistic forward-looking note!
April 10, 2023
I honestly really loved this.
First of all, I have to thank my lovely friend for getting me a signed copy, including a restaurant recommendation for UPenn, at Laura Gao’s event on campus. Incredibly thoughtful and so much more meaningful.
I really thought this was extremely engaging, which I don’t think I was expecting. Additionally, the intersections of sexuality, immigrant experience, gender, familial relationships, and so many more were so valuable should this book ever be used in a classroom, and I am really considering it! Even more valuable is the Wuhanese American perspective through the era of Covid. A shameful mark on how we regarded (and continue to regard) Asian Americans from the perspective of an Asian American. The relevancy of this portion is invaluable in a classroom today!
This book can help so many students that are confused or struggling with their identities. Better yet, it could just be extremely valuable for a student who can relate in any context to see representation in literature, especially this format.
I really don’t have enough nice things to say about this Graphic Novel and a fellow Quaker. Laura, you rock.
First of all, I have to thank my lovely friend for getting me a signed copy, including a restaurant recommendation for UPenn, at Laura Gao’s event on campus. Incredibly thoughtful and so much more meaningful.
I really thought this was extremely engaging, which I don’t think I was expecting. Additionally, the intersections of sexuality, immigrant experience, gender, familial relationships, and so many more were so valuable should this book ever be used in a classroom, and I am really considering it! Even more valuable is the Wuhanese American perspective through the era of Covid. A shameful mark on how we regarded (and continue to regard) Asian Americans from the perspective of an Asian American. The relevancy of this portion is invaluable in a classroom today!
This book can help so many students that are confused or struggling with their identities. Better yet, it could just be extremely valuable for a student who can relate in any context to see representation in literature, especially this format.
I really don’t have enough nice things to say about this Graphic Novel and a fellow Quaker. Laura, you rock.
February 23, 2024
Yet another story about the immigrant experience (by no means in a bad way though). I’m always sucker for stories like this, but what made this book different for me was how much of myself I could relate to (mostly being Chinese and growing up in Texas then moving to SF). Seemingly random parts of the book would remind me of my own experiences, and many of Laura’s realizations and understandings of her parents as people with their own stories and lives I feel like I’ve gone through recently.
One quote that made me stop and think: “The more I relished my new life in San Francisco, the less I stayed connected with anyone in Texas” Despite how much I visited home last year, I didn’t feel that connected to the city outside of that familial context. Although going out of state for college made it difficult to keep in touch with people, I know that part of me also willingly let it happen. Just some food for thought I guess.
I feel like I could re-read this in the future and still get something new out of it
One quote that made me stop and think: “The more I relished my new life in San Francisco, the less I stayed connected with anyone in Texas” Despite how much I visited home last year, I didn’t feel that connected to the city outside of that familial context. Although going out of state for college made it difficult to keep in touch with people, I know that part of me also willingly let it happen. Just some food for thought I guess.
I feel like I could re-read this in the future and still get something new out of it
December 10, 2023
This graphic novel grew on me! Author and illustrator Laura Gao was born in Wuhan, China, but immigrated with her parents to Texas when she was young, thus she was pulled between her homeland and wanting to fit in at her new community. She struggles with her identity, not only as an immigrant but later with her sexuality. Only once she is in college does she start to embrace being Chinese and comes out to her family and friends. Gao's struggles with her parents, extended family, friends, hometown, orientation and cultural identity might parallel problems that teens are having in their lives today, making this narrative relatable to many. The art is appealing, with manga-inspired panels. I believe this book will also have adult crossover appeal.
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April 6, 2022Really enjoyed this memoir of a Chinese immigrant girl growing up between two cultures and exploring her own cultural and sexual identity as she went through college. If the only thing you knew about Wuhan, China was that it's where COVID was first identified (no judgment, me too!), it's definitely worth checking out this memoir.
September 20, 2022
When COVID-19 became a pandemic and suddenly Wuhan, China became ground zero, it was easy for most of us to forget that Wuhan is a real city with real people and a long history. Messy Roots is an engaging, fun, and thought-provoking coming-of-age graphic novel.
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May 20, 2021this will be one in the history books, I'm sure
January 8, 2023
A delight! I loved the honesty, particularly with regards to the author's own mistakes as a teen and her relationship with her parents-- sometimes you say horribly bigoted things against your own group, and sometimes you know your parents will never really appreciate every facet of you. I will admit some of the home life depiction was well-timed for me right now and served as a necessary balm.
May 31, 2023
I've never met a graphic memoir I didn't like, but this one was a real treat. I loved the illustration style and I loved learning about the author's life and their journey towards finding a sense of belonging.
July 29, 2022
oh this felt like home
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