¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel)
My Bilingual Summer in Mexico
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"An absolutely heartwarming and vibrant story of belonging, family, and the meaning of home. This book is a treasure." – Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’
In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.
Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.
Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sugg's debut, a warm and good-humored semi-autobiographical graphic novel, follows rising high school junior Suggs, who is Mexican and white, preparing to spend the summer in Mexico City with their maternal grandparents and tía. The creator inserts themself as the narrator, portrayed in miniature alongside their teenage self as they recount their first time traveling from Texas to Mexico without their bilingual mother, who usually acts as the teen's unofficial translator but is arriving two weeks later due to work. While Suggs's lack of confidence in their biracial identity, fatness, and Spanish-speaking skills makes them dread their trip, they eventually open up to new experiences. In Mexico, Suggs learns more about the country's history pre- and post-colonization, and gains a deeper understanding of their mother's life before she immigrated to the U.S. Joyful moments, such as Abuela digging up a cactus during a hike to take home, lend specificity and counterbalance wrenching moments of pathos, as when the protagonist's fear of ridicule over their body prompts them to cover up during a sweltering heat wave. Via a limited blue and orange color palette that mimics Mexican Talavera pottery traditions, Suggs tackles themes of sexuality, cultural identity, and body image with understanding and heart. Ages 12–up.