Hmong A graphic history

Lyfoung draws upon her experience growing up in France as the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos in this bittersweet graphic novel memoir. The comprehensive narrative opens with a sequence of linear b&w panels that show Lyfoung--depicted first as a child, then teen, and finally as an adult--as she navigates conversational pitfalls relating to her background: off-page onlookers assume that she is Chinese, compliment her French, and question her ethnicity, until her response ("Me? I am Hmong") halts the unseen questioner, unfamiliar with the term. Subsequent high-contrast comics chronicle the history of the Hmong as nomadic mountain people originally from Northern China; after migrating to Southern China in 2000 BCE, further displacement forces the Hmong to scatter throughout Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Visual gags and chibi-style characters engaging in physical humor add levity to the high-stakes accounting, soon connecting the overarching timeline to descendants of Lyfoung who'd later become key figures in the history of the Hmong in Laos. Of her ancestral tree, she writes, "We Lyfoungs have a family forest!" and by finding her place in that forest, she gains perspective, acceptance, and understanding. Ages 11--up. (Apr.)

Gr 7 Up--Self-taught artist Lyfoung's graphic memoir weaves together the history of Hmong people and her own search for identity. Growing up Hmong in France, Lyfoung realized that she and others didn't know much at all about the Hmong people. Lyfoung lays out an intricate historical context of the Hmong, an ethnic group dating back to 2000 BC China, who migrated south over many hundreds of years. In a beautifully detailed and rendered section, she explains 18th and 19th century Hmong life and traditions in the mountains of what is now Laos. Her own parents' story is woven into a detailed history of French-colonized Laos and the conflicts that forced their escape, stays in Thai refugee camps, and eventual emigration to France. While the history is intricate and specific, the threads of family and Hmong identity come loose quickly without section descriptors or chapters, making the story flow uneven at times. A prologue by French journalist and documentarian Cyril Payen gives deep and personal context, while an annotated map of Hmong migration, conflict, refugee camps, and escape serve to ground the book. Black and white panels of varying sizes emphasize the depth and heft of Hmong history. Lyfoung's charming manga-style drawing is expressive, dramatic, and unique--a sure draw for middle grade readers who are receptive to manga facial expressions, action scenes, and storytelling methods. VERDICT The many questions and themes of generational struggle, finding home, telling one's story, and claiming identity will engage upper middle grade readers. A strong addition for where graphic memoirs circulate.--Jamie Winchell

A Hmong woman explores her family's history in this graphic memoir translated from the original French. Lyfoung calls upon her experiences growing up in France as part of a Hmong refugee family from Laos to tell a larger story about history, culture, and survival. She frames this information through the eyes of her younger self: Encountering racism and ignorance led her to ask questions and do research in order to better understand her origins. She shares a condensed account of the nomadic Hmong people's often tragic experiences of persecution, displacement, colonization, and conflict (much of it perpetuated by Western powers, including France and the United States). Lyfoung's concise narrative spans centuries but nevertheless shows the impact of prominent Hmong figures, primarily from the 20th century; by connecting them to her own family's struggles, she makes the narrative grounded and immediate. The black-and-white art, which is both simple and appealing, conveys a wide array of emotions (particularly when relaying intimate family moments) and serves to humanize the complicated history of the Hmong people, who proudly held onto their identity while crossing vast regions. Yang's translation is deft and smooth. The book presents a great deal of information with clarity and enough detail to make the events feel real, making this an important contribution to our understanding of the Hmong people and how they contribute to and are a part of our societies. An accessible and illuminating history, deepened by personal connections. (maps)(Graphic nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.