The Roots of My Hair: A Graphic Novel

The enlightening English-language debut from French cartoonist Lubie (A Fox in my Brain) takes on ethnic identity and beauty norms with passion and vulnerability. Rose, a biracial girl, lives on Réunion Island near Madagascar with her parents and brothers. She loathes her “hideous, unruly mane” and envies the popular “zoreil” (mainland French immigrant) girls at school. Intense bullying by classmates (“Did you do your hair with a firecracker?”) leads Rose to brutally cut her locks, which her mother then shaves off. The extreme style incites a retrospective journey through Rose’s anxiety-riddled collegiate years in Paris, where she finds “a woman’s appearance is a constant subject of unnecessary commentary” as she wears weaves, relaxers, and braids. Cheeky infographics and testimonials intercut the rounded, expressive and classically cartoony comics that show manga influences, drawn in appealing earth tones. The factoids—detailing the percentage differences in the gender-based prices of haircuts, or the exploitation supporting the global beauty industry—underscore gut-punching emotional revelations. The research interrupts the flow a touch too often, but comedic visual beats enliven the stuttering pace and showcase Lubie’s fondness for expressive anime flourishes. Rose’s self-acceptance arrives in a heartfelt full-circle moment that affirms those who’ve wrestled with their own complex heritage. This is for fans of Ebony Flowers’s Hot Comb and the graphic edition of Stamped from the Beginning. (May)