Thanks to NetGalley and Getty Publications for sending me this ARC!

The graphics by Nakahira was beautifully done throughout the book, and captured Asawa's artwork incredibly well! I love learning about artists I don't know about so this graphic novel was right up my alley.

The only part that took away a star for me was that I wanted it to be longer. The ending felt a little abrupt to me and I wish I could have learned more about Asawa's life after 1950.

Overall, beautiful artworks shown through this book, beautiful illustrations, and a new artist for me to look up and get inspired by!

Being able to read a graphic novel about such a prolific artist is a nice way to end the week. I learned about Ruth Asawa when the US Postal Service commemorated her and her work on a postage stamp. Her unique wired sculptures are definitely a stand out in museums. And learning what she and her family went through following Pearl Harbor is a real eye-opener of the struggles families go trhough just to get through life. She did not give up on herself or her education and this graphic novel was a lovely way to learn all about the US history aspect (interment camps, Pearl Harbor, inter-racial marriage getting legalized in California in 1948, and so much more. You get to see what inspired her work and who she connect with along the way to make her dreams come true.

The novel is a quick read, but so detailed and well drawn, the artist, Sam Nakahira, with just a black and white palette, is able to paint a lively picture of what Ruth's life was like from childhood to adulthood.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy, I cant wait to learn more about her.

"Living and art are one and the same thing." Ruth Asawa was an amazing person who overcame obstacles to live life the way she wanted. Her father fled a war in Japan only to become a victim, with his family, of anti-Japanese measures during WWII.
Ruth looked at her adversity as proof that she needed to focus on her art.
This graphic novel brilliantly uses designs like Ruth Asawa's while telling her very inspiring story. I highly recommend this because of its information about how Japanese people were treated for no reason and for its inspiring message of hope and persistence.
Ruth had children and taught them art, later influencing the school system where she lived to show how important art is for everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

(4.5) This is a coming-of-age, graphic biography about artist Ruth Asawa during a time of historical importance: The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Post-War American Art scene. These topics, although heavy, are portrayed in a compassionate, charming, and digestible way.

The graphics are stunning and particularly detailed whenever farmlands and nature are involved — while this could simply be because the author and comic artist Sam Nakahira has a knack for drawing nature, it is more likely because nature was a significant source of Ruth's inspiration and creative energy.

Only one suggestion of improvement: A stronger ending (no spoilers here), which felt like it petered out compared to the other engaging, bite-sized pieces of Ruth's story.

Thank you to Getty Publications who provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t have the best knowledge of contemporary art but am eager to learn – and what a great way into the subject this graphic novel was. I had never heard of Ruth Asawa, but after reading this I want to know more about her.

Her past as a Japanese-American in internment camps during World War 2 was likewise interesting and horrifying to read about. As an European that side of the war is not really well-known about and it’s great (in an educational way!) as an adult to get to know more about world history.

Sam Nakahira has made brilliant drawings in a very nice style that captures the delicate work of Asawa’s metal wire art.