Title: Marzi
Author: Marzena Sowa (with art by Sylvian Savoia)
Pages: 230
Published: 2011
Summary: “I am Marzi, born in 1979, ten years before the end of communism in Poland. My father works at a factory, my mother at a dairy. Social problems are at their height. Empty stores are our daily bread.I’m scared of spiders and the world of adults doesn’t seem like a walk in the park.”
Told from a young girl’s perspective, Marzena Sowa’s memoir of a childhood shaped by politics feels remarkably fresh and immediate. Structured as a series of vignettes that build on one another, MARZI is a compelling and powerful coming-of-age story that portrays the harsh realities of life behind the Iron Curtain while maintaining the everyday wonders and curiosity of childhood. With open and engaging art by Sylvain Savoia, MARZI is a moving and resonant story of an ordinary girl in turbulent, changing times.
Review:
This book is about a little 10-year-old-girl growing up in Communist Poland at a turning point in the country's history. This is also a graphic novel, but really, that adds to the story. One thing about the art that I personally enjoy is that you see the illustration get used to drawing the characters and the drawings only get better as the book progresses. This is not just a documentary or a non-fiction-text-book-like book about Communist Poland, but it is the country seen through the eyes of a poor girl. She doesn't know what's going on very much of the time and her parents don't tell her much, but she knows something is wrong. You feel for Marzi and you get to know her family and her friends that are brought to life with her words and the pictures. Personally, I adored this book. It is a unique view on a serious situation; and while it feels like a story, it is not. It's a true memoir of a woman's life. Marzi is adorable and the story is heartwarming.
Rating: ★★★★ 4/5 Stars
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