I am a huge fan of graphic memoirs and have ready many over the last few years as these books have grown in popularity. One of my top five graphic memoirs is In Waves written and illustrated by AJ Dungo and published in 2019 by Nobrow Press. This memoir is about surfing, grief, and loss. Dungo alternates between chapters on the history of surfing and his girlfriend’s unsuccessful struggle with cancer. Why surfing? Because he and his partner shared a love of the sport that endured even through the most difficult times during her illness.
The coloring is spectacular, with the history of surfing chapters illustrated in browns and sepias, and the girlfriend’s illness in blues and greens. The language is spot on, without being too wordy, as the pictures tell much of the story. While not a surfer, I appreciated learning about it and was absorbed from cover to cover.
This is a must read for anyone who loves memoirs. If you like graphic memoirs, I also recommend All the Answers by Michael Kupperman and Stitches by David Small, both available at the Patten Free Library.
Review by Lesley Dolinger, Library Director.
To request a copy of In Waves, click here.
To request a copy of All the Answers, click here.
To request a copy of Stitches, click here.
