Gandhi: My Life Is My Message

Impressive in its text and art, this graphic novel describes how one man defeated an empire by leading patient, nonviolent protests. The story shows an elderly Gandhi reflecting on his life, remembering how his experiences with British colonial authority in South Africa and India taught him that anger and hatred should be met with love and respect. This faith eventually gained India’s independence and influenced the American civil rights movement, though the authors admit that it didn’t overcome the simmering distrust between India’s Hindu and Muslim citizens, which led to Gandhi’s assassination. Relying on Gandhi’s own words to express his thoughts, Quinn’s script is necessarily text heavy; however, the layout does a remarkably graceful job of keeping a reader’s eye moving through each page, and the art itself is lively, though muted in color. Although the format and storytelling conceit is somewhat clichéd, the execution is strong, making the book a good introduction to a serious subject, respectful but not sanctimonious. (Mar.)