Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American [Hardcover]

“Messy Rootsis a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and deeply engaging story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person, and as a Wuhanese American in the middle of a pandemic.”—Malaka Gharib, author ofI Was Their American Dream

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars—at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.

InMessy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao’s debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.

In this fresh, frank, and tender debut, author-illustrator Gao offers a compellingly layered graphic memoir.... A multidimensional, thoroughly entertaining account of growing into queer Asian American identity. -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In this poignant memoir, Gao ?conveys her love for her home country and her journey as an immigrant. Her voice is grounded yet humorous; she illustrates a more ?nuanced Wuhan than the one depicted in current media, while conveying the difficulty of being a part of American society yet never feeling truly at home. A tender story of self-acceptance that lifts the story of Wuhan beyond COVID and shines light on a ?region with a rich culture and history.” -School Library Journal (starred review)

“Gao personalizes her experiences with insight and humor. This book delivers a coming-of-age story that tackles themes of immigration, assimilation, racism, sexuality, and self-identity. An affecting and candid depiction of the universal“j