Return to Eden [Hardcover]

The celebrated Spanish cartoonists most ambitious work yet is a touching homage to his mother and a bittersweet depiction of life in post-war Spain. This unsentimental yet heartfelt family chronicle is another triumph for Roca, sure to win favor with readers of European comics and Elena Ferrante alike. Roca's massively appealing illustration and masterly sense of narrative make [his stories] exceptionally compelling. A study of the complex relationships of family and the ties that bind from a storyteller whose powerful depiction of human frailties is both haunting and ever recognizable. His most personal graphic novel to date, a nostalgia-soaked ode to the Franco-era Valencia of his mothers youth. A precious (and sad) tribute to a generation of women who grew up fed with crumbs of happiness. This is another strong chapter in Rocas fantastic body of work. A very moving examination of Spain after World War II that will appeal to both established fans and history buffs. Its most definitely heartfelt, yet also sorrowful, and damning of a regime where all dreams were quashed. Masterful.