The artwork in this book is beautifully done. I love how the myths behind the ginseng root is illustrated. It really helps bring the story to life.

Anyone who is familiar with Craig Thompson's previous work will know that he is an incredible artist and graphic designer. His attention to things like page layout and his mastery of the black and white format are again on full display here in Ginseng Roots, an autobiographical story that falls somewhere before Blankets in Thompson's life.

The first thing to know is that this is a pretty slow book. Thompson really digs into the details of monotonous summers spent weeding Ginseng Fields, while also delivering a bit of a history lesson on the plant itself. I feel that the book is best read in pieces (which is actually how he initially published it), so that you can digest it in smaller bits and take the time to really appreciate the artistry involved. Don't go into this looking for action or fast paced development, there are other books for that. Ginseng Roots is a lovely and quiet personal narrative about Thompson's youth in Wisconsin, and how his understanding of those experiences has changed as he grew up.

Blankets is one of the first graphic novels I ever read, one of the first books that really hooked me on the genre, and graphic memoir in particular. I knew I had to read Ginseng Roots as soon as I saw it was coming.

Ginseng Roots follows Craig and his siblings to tell their story growing up in the Wisconsin ginseng farming industry. Another great graphic memoir that also taught me a lot about ginseng, Wisconsin, and farming in general. Craig Thompson has a beautiful way of telling his story that I've not experienced with other graphic memoir artists. Highly recommend!