Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American

This graphic memoir follows Laura Gao’s life between memories of early childhood in Wuhan and her experiences in the United States during the pandemic. At home, at school, and beyond, she confronts pressures and conflicts connected to immigration. As a middle-school student, Laura resists her parents’ expectations about mathematics and begins playing basketball; later, she finds connection with other artists. In college, after realizing she is queer, she wrestles with whether and how to tell her family. A return trip to Wuhan as a young adult reunites her with relatives and cousins.