Read a Girl - Read a Girl #31: "Heimat", Nora Krug

Hello, friend :)

This month I am bringing you a very special book. Dare I say it, it’s the best one I’ve read this year, so far, and most definitely the best graphic memoir I’ve read since Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home”. 

“Heimat” by Nora Krug is an absolute work of art. Heimat is German for “home” or, more appropriately in this case, “homeland”. In the US, the book got a more literal title that sums up what this memoir is all about: “Belonging”.

In this book we follow Nora’s journey in discovering her own family history in post-war Germany. She struggles with her own identity when finding out the role played by her grandparents during the Holocaust. It is a brutally touching, and marvellously executed, graphic memoir about history and the sense of belonging - be it in the world or within our own families.

Cannot recommend it enough.

Find all books featured in our newsletter in our shop at Bookshop.org. 

My first book, “a spectacularly sad ending”, is a collection of poetry and prose about heartbreak, loss and survival. It chronicles experiences of love, loss, abuse and grief, and is for anyone who is or ever had to mend a broken heart. It's available as a paperback and also on Kindle. You can get it here.

🎵 This newsletter was written to the sounds of “99 Luftballons”, by Nena.

We have a playlist with all of the music featured on our newsletters. You can listen to it on Spotify.

My name is Renata and I am the Founder and Editor of Read a Girl, a platform aimed at promoting the work of women writers. My background is in journalism and I spent most of my career covering foreign affairs and travelling around looking for good stories to tell. I love reading and my favourite authors are Elena Ferrante, J.D. Salinger, Julian Barnes and Sylvia Plath.

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