Irmina

The art in Irmina is gorgeous, and the book is well worth the read just to indulge in the beautiful watercolours. The story is also exceptionally well-done, and I think a very important one to consider given the current political climate. Why do people ignore terrible things doing on around them? Irmina follows the protagonist through her life during the rise of Hitler and WWII. While she obviously has a lot of privilege because of her pure German heritage, she is also struggles with discrimination because of her gender and social class. While people tell her she should care about what is happening to the Jews, she is mired in so many personal issues that it is hard for her to conceptualise how she can help, particularly when there seems to be so little help available for her. Irmina is a humanising story, reminding people that trying to reach those with privilege often means thinking about their encounters with oppression as well. In a world where Trump has a significant amount of support, this graphic novel illuminates why some people end up propping up politics that cause incredibly devastating, if not deadly, effects.

4.5 stars. This is a truly haunting read, especially with how American politics are going. Watching Irmina descend from an active voice against injustice to a silenced being just trying to survive is scary given how close this reality to coming again, just in a different setting with different players.