Mothballs

By Sole Otero
Publisher: Fantagraphics
ISBN: 9781683969617

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but at least for comics and graphic novels it tends to be a solid reflection of what you’ll find inside. And I really like the cover to Mothballs. Sole Otero’s art is exciting, expressive, unusual, and fun, using simple patterns and a restrained colour palette to emphasise story and place. And she uses it to its best advantage here in this story across the generations.

Rocio’s grandmother has died and, at age 19, Rocio has inherited her house. It’s a house she used to live in and spend a lot of time in, but she’s soon to learn it has a history she’s unaware of. That history involves her grandmother’s heartbreak and betrayal, being taken advantage of as a young woman and discarded, then forced to make her own way. Her experiences leave her skewed and sometimes bitter, so when genuine affection is displayed, she treats the suitor dreadfully. The longer Rocio, or Ro, spends in the house, the more she learns, but rather than frighten and alienate her, it steadies her resolve to do what she believes in.

Although Ro’s story is utterly relatable and interesting in its telling, her grandmother’s story overshadows it for the tragedy it was. Unjust and unfair treatment begets more of the same, and it’s all too easy to imagine this story playing out in communities the world over. That’s not to say this a bleak book, devoid of spirit and light. Far from it. It has humour, hope, and positivity, which ultimately carries the reader through to the end. A good balance of both serves all good tales well. I’d highly recommend anyone reading this review to give it a go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

And if you liked that: Read Ducks by Kate Beaton