by Debbie Drechsler
Originally published in 1995 and distributed only to comic book specialty stores, Daddy's Girl was ahead of its time - Drechsler's account of her abuse at the hands of her father, told from the point of view of an adolescent, is one of the most searingly honest, empathic, and profoundly disturbing uses of the comics medium in history. Drechsler's meticulous brush lines gather into heavy textures that suggest the claustrophobic tension of the environment that threatens her pre-teen and adolescent female protagonists. Characters such as Lily, who can't escape her father's abuse, and Franny, a girl whose desire to be accepted leads her into dangerous territory, struggle not to be visually and emotionally overwhelmed. Central to this quasi-memoir is Lily's relationship to her father - a confused jumble of fear, trepidation, and love.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
Daddy's Girl is a powerful book that uses a childlike graphic style to explore the adolescence of a young girl, Lily, whose life is being destroyed by sexual abuse. Drechsler pulls no punches in her depiction of incest, and many scenes are hard to read, but this book shows that comics can be a vehicle for serious subjects; the drawings pull the reader into her world more completely than the written word ever could. Drechsler's depiction of childhood is perfect, and there are happy moments within the horror of Lily's life. In one chapter, Lily and a friend contemplate suicide, then walk into the woods, away from their problems. In the last panel, as they sit eating tiny wild strawberries, there is a moment of hope which resonates long after the book is finished.
About the Author:
Debbie Drechsler lives in Northern California.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherFantagraphics Books
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 1560978945
- ISBN 13 9781560978947
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages86
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Rating