GRAPHIC NOVELS

Pittsburgh

by Frank Santoro
NYRC. Sept. 2019. 216p. ISBN 9781681374048. $29.95. Rated: Teen+. literary
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Santoro (Storeyville) presents a stirring autobiographical and multigenerational story of his family and hometown in this beautifully illustrated, hand-lettered, and mixed-media graphic novel. Spanning several decades and tracing parts of his own history and that of immediate and extended family members, exploring themes of memory, belonging, personal regrets, as well as hopefulness, the story takes us along on the journey of Santoro’s parents and grandparents. From his father’s history in the Vietnam War to his parents’ separation, the author weaves a vivid tapestry of interpersonal relationships and their deep and lasting effects on our lives. The drawings are so vibrant they seem almost three dimensional, blending both chaos and order in images clear and fuzzy—much like memories themselves.
VERDICT A thoughtful account of family and place that will be especially enjoyed by fans of graphic memoir. [Previewed in Ingrid Bohnenkamp’s “Mass Appeal,” LJ 6/19.]
Reviewed by Traci Glass, formerly at Multnomah Cty. Lib., OR , Dec 06, 2019
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