Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

 

Last week, I read Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod. This graphic memoir is about the author, Kathy, when she was eleven years old. Growing up with a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy feels like she's a part of two different worlds. Although she lives in Bangkok, Thailand, most of the time, she looks forward to summer vacations when her family travels twenty-four hours straight to a tiny seaside town in Maine where her dad's family lives and she can have clam chowder and blueberry pie. This particular summer, she is going to summer camp for three weeks for the first time. She's very excited initially, but when she gets there, she struggles to fit in no matter how hard she tries because she doesn't look like the other kids or know everything about America they know. Lonely and dealing with low self-esteem, she wonders if she'll ever find a place she truly belongs.

This book was such a moving story. I could relate to Kathy's excitement to be going on a vacation and felt bad for her when camp didn't end up being as fun as she thought it would be. I was glad that she had the support of her camp counselor Bri, though, because some of the other girls at the camp could be downright cruel at times. I also liked that she was able to find a couple of girls with whom to play Mad Libs because that was something I enjoyed doing with my best friends when I was around the same age. I thought the dynamic of Kathy's family was interesting because her parents were older and it seemed like she was a bit distant from her mom. As someone who was close to both of her parents growing up, that made me quite sad. I loved her relationship with her dad, though. It was cool how she created newsletters and could share them with him. However, my absolute favorite scene was when she got back from summer camp and celebrated the Fourth of July with her dad's family. It reminded me of my childhood when I celebrated that holiday, along with my grandpa's birthday (which was the same day), with my mom's family. The end of this graphic memoir was satisfying, and I loved the message it sent about how important it is to be kind to yourself. Additionally, I felt like I learned more about what life is like when you grow up as a part of two different cultures. The artwork is cute and I thought the color scheme was particularly soothing as I was reading. It is colorful, but not overly bright. At the end of the book, there is an afterword, photos of Kathy and her family, and some of the artwork she drew as a child. Continental Drifter is a terrific choice for anyone, but particularly those who are also searching for a sense of belonging or learning how to love themself.