‘Almost American Girl’ is a Moving Memoir in Graphic Novel Form

‘Rona may have closed our libraries but thank God for the Libby app, so I can receive my books the digital way! Having this access led me to discover Robin Ha’s graphic memoir Almost American Girl that came out earlier this year. The book recounts the fateful journey that young Ha and her mother took from South Korea to emigrate to the United States back in the 90’s when she was a teenager. The story reveals a stunning and endearing read.

A New Begining

Appropriate for the middle school and high school age range, this tender and moving graphic novel emphasizes the divide young Robin, first introduced with her given, Korean, birth name: Chuna, felt when starting her new life here in America. This includes alienation, her first brushes with racism and the bewilderment it caused, along with celebrating Halloween for the first time and journaling and so much more. Other things done really well by the author: perfectly illustrating why ESL classes are necessary and how English teachers are the best. I can’t stress how much I really loved reading this book. I had so many feelings—I was weeping, I was laughing, I was yelling at characters on the pages. Robin Ha did a superb job detailing and elaborating on the loneliness she felt growing up, coming to the U.S. and eventually how she created her own way, growing into who she is today. Riding The Struggle Bus

The flashbacks, usually colored in sepia tones, give the necessary backstory putting to paper a Korean mother who was absol…