Alison Bechdel
Houghton Mifflin: 2006
232 pages

A fresh and brilliantly told memoir, marked by gothic twists, a family funeral home, sexual angst, and great books. This breakout book by cult favorite Alison Bechdel is a darkly funny family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings. Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent -- and a closeted homosexual. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father -- a relationship that achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. Softcover edition. "One of the very best graphic novels ever." -Booklist, starred review. "A graphic narrative of uncommon richness, depth, literary resonance, and psychological complexity." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review. "Quiet, dignified and not easy to put down." -Publishers Weekly, starred review. "Alison Bechdel - she's one of the best, one to watch out for." -Harvey Pekar. "Stupendous... a rare, prime example of why graphic novels have taken over the conversation about American literature." -Chip Kidd. "Brave and forthright and insightful -- exactly what Alison Bechdel does best." -Dorothy Allison. A best book of the year from: Time, Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, People, USA Today, Salon, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Village Voice, Londom Times, Newsday, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Time Out New York, Guardian UK, Capital Times, The Advocate, Amazon.com, New York Blade, New York Magazine, Publishers Weekly