Laura Gao is a comic artist and bread lover currently living in San
Francisco. Her debut graphic novel, Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir
of a Wuhanese American, received several starred reviews. Laura’s
art career began by doodling on Pokémon cards and has since
blossomed to be featured on NPR, HuffPost, and, most notably, her
parents’ fridge. She is a proud queer Asian American immigrant and
strives to inspire others to live unapologetically loud. Laura’s
pronouns are she/they. Say hello and send her bakery
recommendations at lauragao.com.
Laura Gao is a comic artist and bread lover currently living in San
Francisco. Her debut graphic novel, Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir
of a Wuhanese American, received several starred reviews. Laura’s
art career began by doodling on Pokémon cards and has since
blossomed to be featured on NPR, HuffPost, and, most notably, her
parents’ fridge. She is a proud queer Asian American immigrant and
strives to inspire others to live unapologetically loud. Laura’s
pronouns are she/they. Say hello and send her bakery
recommendations at lauragao.com.
"In this fresh, frank, and tender debut, author-illustrator Gao
offers a compellingly layered graphic memoir.... A
multidimensional, thoroughly entertaining account of growing into
queer Asian American identity." — Publishers Weekly (starred
review)
“In this poignant memoir, Gao conveys her love for her home
country and her journey as an immigrant. Her voice is grounded yet
humorous; she illustrates a more nuanced Wuhan than the one
depicted in current media, while conveying the difficulty of being
a part of American society yet never feeling truly at home. A
tender story of self-acceptance that lifts the story of Wuhan
beyond COVID and shines light on a region with a rich culture and
history.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Gao personalizes her experiences with insight and humor. This book
delivers a coming-of-age story that tackles themes of immigration,
assimilation, racism, sexuality, and self-identity. An affecting
and candid depiction of the universal search for one’s place in the
world.” — Horn Book (starred review)
"The narrative overlays immigrant community dynamics with the
intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender in young adults’
identity development while drawing on Chinese cultural icons old
and new, such as White Rabbit candies.... A nuanced representation
of being Asian and transnational in the contemporary U.S." —
Kirkus Reviews
"In this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir, debut
author/artist Gao does an excellent job of representing the
complexity and challenges that came with growing up as young
Chinese immigrant... [H]eartfelt and relatable." — Booklist
“Messy Roots is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt and deeply engaging
story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the
daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person and as a Wuhanese
American in the middle of a pandemic. Through hilarious inner
dialogue, videogaming references and fun explainers, Gao
effortlessly brings readers into their world.” — Malaka
Gharib, author of I Was Their American Dream
“Messy Roots is funny, intimate, absorbing, and deeply moving. What
a gift to have this peek into Laura Gao’s memories, in all their
sweetness and complexity.” — Becky Albertalli, New York Times
bestselling author of Kate in Waiting
"Finding ourselves can be messy, but Laura Gao tells her story of
self-discovery with honest and vulnerable beauty." — Mike Curato,
Lambda Award-winning author of Flamer
“Messy Roots surprised me in all the best ways. It’s a book that
will stay with you for a long time to come.” — Tillie Walden,
author of On a Sunbeam
"Hilarious, heartfelt, and beautifully illustrated, Messy Roots
deserves to join the Chinese American canon right next to Gene Luen
Yang’s American Born Chinese." — R.F. Kuang, author of The Poppy
War
"Messy Roots is about the hardship of identity and the
beautiful but messy journey to find it." — Aminder
Dhaliwal, author of Cyclopedia Exotica
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