This is a stark, epic graphic memoir, and while it was hard to read at times and took me longer to get through than a graphic novel typically would, it was certainly more than worth it. It deals with so much, from the obvious issues of poverty and trauma to environmental degradation and the casual (and concerted) ways that societies perpetuate harms of all kinds. It's not all bleak, though it's certainly much less humorous than Beaton's earlier works.

Wow. I wasn't expecting a light read based simply on the fact that it's set in the Oil Sands, but it still was a gut punch. Living in Wyoming, with its boom and bust economy based heavily on energy resources, I felt a connection to the story even though I've never worked in the field. There's one scene in particular when an Alberta resident gets mad at the transplants who were trash talking the area that really resonated. This book addresses many serious issues, but there are moments of humor.

This is a must purchase for public libraries.

An eye opening look into the lives of the people who work in the oil sands of Canada who work to ensure we all have access to the resource. This memoir shines a light on an area of work we do not know much about.

This graphic novel is a memoir about the years the author spent in the oil sands in Canada. She bounces from place to place, trying to make enough money to pay off her student loans. What she finds is friendship, loneliness, and much more than she bargained for.

I won’t say too much more, with respect to the author's note at the end of the book. However, I thought the art was excellent, and the emotions that the character was experiencing were portrayed very well. Some of this was more intense than I was expecting, but I thought it was excellent.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

To preface this, I don't think I've read a book that so deeply resonated with me in a very long time. I had to put the book down at certain points and just cry because I've experienced many of the things Beaton discussed in Ducks, which I’ll touch on below. This is a harrowing but important read for everyone, as the book discusses many experiences working class families go through in North America.

Ducks is a memoir that only covers roughly 3 years of Kate Beaton's life. The first year is her starting out in the oil sands, the second year (or more like half a year) is a break she had in British Columbia working at a museum, and the third year is her remaining time in the oil sands. I became a fan of Kate Beaton in high school when my then-boyfriend and I shared her history-related webcomics with each other, and I later went back and read her entire bibliography in grad school. These books are much different from this one, so I was surprised by the different tone of Ducks. For example, Beaton tends to be more private about her personal life, so I had no idea she came from the same background as me, namely a working class Catholic family in a stupid-cold region where jobs are disappearing. I always assumed from her writing she was from an upper middle class family located somewhere like Toronto or Vancouver. I don't feel like this difference in tone was a bad thing, though. I enjoyed seeing Beaton's range as an author, and was impressed she could go from humorous 4 panel comics to a full-length graphic memoir. Additionally, I appreciated her candor about her life, as it put her previous work in a new light and made me appreciate it more.

There were many other parallels I had with Beaton's life, such as going into college and getting a 'useless' degree then having to figure out a way to make it lucrative (in my case 'classics' then getting a master's in library science). However, the parallel I kept going back to is how the men who work at those camps come from everyday backgrounds, and the camp creates a harmful environment that messes with them and their families. I honestly believe this is an issue that applies to many working class jobs. My father is an automotive worker and he worked afternoons for a few years in my childhood. This meant I only saw him on Saturdays and Sundays. The experience of being separated from his family for such long stretches of time took such a toll on his mental health he eventually took a pay cut to get back on days. Additionally, his relationship with my brother and I was permanently damaged, as he missed many important childhood milestones. I thought about this a lot in regards to the men in the oil sands, who often went even longer without seeing their families.

The main thing I took away from this book is that a lot more people than you think are ducks. I think everyone should read this book, especially if you wonder why people work jobs that are deemed harmful to society, the environment, etc. and the desperation that led them to it.