!Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel): My Bilingual Summer in Mexico

Christine Suggs' debut graphic novel explores a trip to Mexico, embracing and rebelling against heritage, and finding a sense of belonging.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 13 April 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Fifteen-year-old Christine is preparing for their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía that summer. While they're initially nervous about connecting with family that they don't yet share a language with, they quickly settle into life in Mexico—eating pan dulce, growing comfortable with Spanish, and drawing what they see. Halfway through their stay, their mom joins the trip. At first, they're relieved to be reunited, but soon they struggle to reconcile the mother they know with the mother who has a past outside of themselves. What must it have been like to leave a country for someone you love? Through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both the country and themselves, they ultimately find their place in their family, something they can take back with them to Texas.

Fifteen-year-old Christine is preparing for their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía that summer. While they're initially nervous about connecting with family that they don't yet share a language with, they quickly settle into life in Mexico—eating pan dulce, growing comfortable with Spanish, and drawing what they see. Halfway through their stay, their mom joins the trip. At first, they're relieved to be reunited, but soon they struggle to reconcile the mother they know with the mother who has a past outside of themselves. What must it have been like to leave a country for someone you love? Through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both the country and themselves, they ultimately find their place in their family, something they can take back with them to Texas.

Weight: 670g
Dimension: 209 x 142 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780316591928