Blankets

I can’t say I have extensively explored graphic novels, more like visited. My reading interests come and go in phases and those I’ve dedicated to graphic novels have been brief but enjoyable. One of my favorite finds is Blankets. Highly praised and awarded in the island of graphic novels, I wish it would be more widely known in the land of literature as a whole.

Blankets is an autobiography by Craig Thompson. It is his coming-of-age story that traverses his childhood in an Evangelical Christian family, his first teenage love, and his first steps toward independence.

The motif of blankets is beautiful; Craig centers his story on the people with whom he has shared a blanket. He starts with sharing a childhood bed with his sibling, and how they told ghost stories and fairytales of adventure. Raised in a Christian church, Thompson reflects on how heaven, hell, and sin were introduced to him by preachers and parents…and how these things left him utterly lost within himself. Growing up in a similar household of beliefs, I could relate to the confusion, fascination, and fear that Thompson recalls feeling as a child. His striking graphics beautifully depict a child’s perspective and response to such heavy concepts. Thompson transitions to his young adulthood. He attends a church camp where he meets his first love, Raina. They start a long-distance relationship strengthened by letters and gifts—including a quilt Raina made for him. Craig visits Raina’s home and the two share their first sexual experience, which sparks a conflict of faith and meaning for Craig that follows him into adulthood.

This is a beautiful story. The scenes are honest and personal. The artwork is incredible. I highly recommend Blankets even if you are like me and don’t sample graphic novels often or ever. It is a novel of faith, love, doubt, and finding your answers.