01/15/2024
Mann (Thoughts from Iceland) partners with co-artist Gatts for an emotionally fraught graphic memoir of coming out in his “insular, strictly regulated” Orthodox Jewish household in 1990s Long Island. Crushes on his classmates at his yeshiva prodded Mann to realize he’s gay. Despite the harsh homophobic teachings of his temple (where AIDS is characterized as a “divine punishment”), in the ninth grade he cautiously comes out to a rabbi, who offers quiet support and maintains his secret. He later tells his parents, who react less well, and who send him to a therapist. As he grows older and closer to peers (in and out of his religious community), he continues to wrestle with his identity and faith. He catches out his parents’ hypocrisy, as when his mother consults a psychic to confirm her belief that he will grow out of this phase (“You’ll believe what this witch says instead of your own son?”). Orthodox practices are neatly unpacked, though the narrative focus on Mann’s adolescent inner turmoil occasionally results in scenes that skim over family tensions and plot points. The art is gentle and naturalistic, with crisp lines and often gradient, color wash backgrounds that soften even the starkest moments. Younger adults navigating their own coming out within religious communities will find resonance.(Feb.)
The animated evolution of a queer boy from his strict religious upbringing to a liberated adolescence. . . . Tokyo-based couple Mann and Gatts integrate their illustrative and authorial talents in this debut graphic memoir vividly detailing Mann's coming-of-age while cloaking his burgeoning homosexual feelings.”—Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
"Excellent for readers seeking to understand challenges facing devout LGBTQIA+ people and for religious queer individuals themselves." —Library Journal
"The art is gentle and naturalistic, with crisp lines and often gradient, color wash backgrounds that soften even the starkest moments. Younger adults navigating their own coming out within religious communities will find resonance." —Publishers Weekly
“I'm so glad this beautiful, thoughtful book exists for readers who need it; for anyone fighting their way out or searching for a clear path. I can't wait to share it with kids who need it!” —Lucy Knisley, author of Kid Gloves and Relish
“I loved this book! It is for any of us who have been othered by our upbringing. This book lets you know that the journey out is worth it.” —Shelby Criswell, author of Queer As All Get Out
“While the circumstances of growing up in a strict orthodox household are highly individual, the feelings of loneliness and confusion mixed with hope are universal. Read it and remember.” —Rob Kirby, author of Marry Me a Little
“This tenderly-drawn journey of self-definition gave me a peek into a very different world. I loved it.” —Hazel Newlevant, author of No Ivy League
01/26/2024
Mann's (Thoughts from Iceland) youth was fraught with two struggles: satisfy his strict Orthodox Jewish parents by observing manifold rituals, and—realizing that he was gay—camouflage his increasing attraction to boys. Approaching puberty, he feared showing arousal in the sex-segregated ritual baths. These intertwined dilemmas led him to question his family's faith and notice inconsistencies. Why were modern Jewish women sequestered in a hidden area of the temple and barred from participating, whereas ancient Israel's women could bring sacrifices to the temple alongside the men? What about conflicting rabbinical theories about homosexuality? Lonnie's parents affirm their love when he comes out to them, yet his father doesn't quite believe him while his mother trusts her psychic's assessment over her son's. Finally finding acceptance in gamer and arts groups, he meets other gay kids. Ultimately, he leaves Judaism completely to find fellowship and an honest life in a chosen family. The simple, curvy blue/sepia art from Mann and his animator spouse Gatts conveys the helplessness of a young person facing thorny contradictions he doesn't understand. VERDICT Excellent for readers seeking to understand challenges facing devout LGBTQIA+ people and for religious queer individuals themselves.—Martha Cornog
★ 2023-10-14
The animated evolution of a queer boy from his strict religious upbringing to a liberated adolescence.
Tokyo-based couple Mann and Gatts integrate their illustrative and authorial talents in this debut graphic memoir vividly detailing Mann’s coming-of-age while cloaking his burgeoning homosexual feelings. The author earnestly portrays his Orthodox Jewish indoctrination and his family’s adherence to doctrine; he grew up in an environment in which everything consumed or acted upon had a pious blessing and kosher-strict rules. Throughout his childhood, his devout parents, despite the “odd gaps” in their own religious upbringings, corrected any kind of deviation from their insular expectations. These divergences included Mann’s simmering boyhood crushes on his male classmates, but the consensus between friends, teachers, and parents was to abandon these feelings because homosexuality was considered a religious “abomination.” Eventually, Mann came to the mature realization that in order to be happy and find a boyfriend, he would need to reject Orthodox teachings and live life on his own terms. But that meant keeping his feelings closeted, and he had to hide his feelings and actions from his family and friends. When he did eventually come out, no one understood or accepted it, and they insisted on interventions. The author recounts a boyhood incident involving his father’s indifference to an accidental near-drowning, which taught him that “trusting my parents could be dangerous.” This sentiment returned when he came out to his parents in early adolescence. When Mann finds love in the memoir’s final pages, it’s a well-deserved, significant moment. Awash in dark blue and brown hues, the illustrations are comprised of crisply rendered line drawings made more distinctive with effectively detailed coloration. Both Mann and Gatts contribute to vividly drawn pages of personal history elaborating on Mann’s journey toward the embracement of his queer identity.
A vital, emotionally immersive self-portrait.
