Recommended by Stephen L Holland, Guest Editor, June 2021: “I think it’s important to be true to yourself. If something feels wrong you should speak up.” Farai is taken by train by her boyfriend Adam to meet his parents in the countryside. Feeling beholden to their hospitality and trying her hardest to make things work, Farai soon discovers that Adam’s controlling and calculating mother is an all- too-real racist nightmare. With the lushest of lines, form and colour, Kristensen has created something deceptively complex with extraordinary economy that will give readers much to ponder upon.
Farai has finally persuaded Adam to introduce her to his parents, but the visit to the in-laws turns out to be a horrible experience for her. She starts to feel uneasy and ostracised. When confronted about this experience Adam tries to play down the situation and does not show any understanding for his partner's concerns. Then things get a whole lot worse and Farai has to question if she can be with a man whose family does not accept her and who is not willing to face the difficulties related to an interracial relationship.
Examining contemporary issues of race, bigotry and the difficulties that interracial couples face, What We Don't Talk About is an exciting debut from a burgeoning talent and important new voice in graphic fiction.
