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Kumiko, 76, decides to leave the assisted-living home to find a place of her own without telling her daughters. She feels the shadow of death close by, and tries her best to fight it off.
A lot of themes in this graphic novel: growing old, ageism, death, friendship...
I enjoyed the illustration style. This story is universally relatable, and I liked the humorous tone too.

The kind of elder person I aspire to be. Fiercely independent, not bitter. I love the shadow of death and it's minions vacillating between cranky, creepy and adorable. Such simple joys outlined in the midst of such ominous atmosphere. It didn't feel like mood whiplash, just a natural depiction of the myriad experiences in daily life. Shout out to British Columbia background, and the author's acknowledgement of First Nations territories in bio.

Naughty shadow! You stay in your salty vacuum cleaner and think about what you've done! 😂

"It's a relief to leave unnecessary things...But do the necessary things have to be so heavy?"
Hard same.

I meant to start another book last night, but I got totally sucked into this gorgeous comic about a 76-year-old woman who faces off against Death‘s Shadow. Goto and Xu explore the ins and outs of Kumiko‘s daily life as much as the supernatural threat that stalks her. I couldn‘t tear myself away. #gaymay

I realize I never did review it on Litsy. It‘s been a year, and I recently reread this for my Lesbian+ bookclub… SO GOOD. Shadow Life is shortlisted for an LA Times Book Award… hope it wins! Kumiko, a bisexual Japanese Canadian MC, is in her 70s and she is not ready to die in an old folks home. I love Kumiko & the cast of queer characters & the vibrant Vancouver neighbourhood setting & the Asian supernatural elements… the whole of it. 😍

This is such a beautiful book. Kumiko is a valiant, tough woman who embodies fighting for what you want, fighting for life. I loved reading this!

😂😂

The main character of this novel is an elderly woman trying to outrun death and to escape the ministrations of her well-meaning but oppressive children. It's not common to see a graphic novel that explores aging but this one is very well done.

Second book finished for the #FabulousFebruary readathon! @Andrew65

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

A badass little old lady battles death and ageist prejudice to eek out a little more time on Earth. A fun, feisty lead and an excellent story

A really good read 😊

Badass 76 yr old goes Rambo on Death with a hoover and some salts. Funny & touching. ❤️ Kumiko.

At tonight‘s Calgary Wordfest event, a pair of wonderful Japanese Canadian authors had a wide-ranging conversation. One of the things they said was how important visual representation is as a way to combat anti-Asian sentiment.
(Note: the names above the photos are reversed.)

I loved this graphic novel and the character of Kumiko! It's difficult to find literature that celebrates older women. I haven't been reading many graphic novels lately, and this one was so engaging and wonderful. So happy I picked it up! This is Goto's first graphic novel. I'm anxious to read her other works

Kumiko is a bisexual Japanese Canadian woman in her 70s who is stubborn, quirky, and independent. After escaping her longterm care home, she sets up in an East Van apartment only to find death has come too early. She intends to fight it, sometimes literally like with a vacuum cleaner. I LOVED Kumiko, a wonderfully rich depiction of a BIPOC queer elder. Gorgeous, expressive art and complex questions about death, mortality, and a life well lived.

I‘m on Shawn the Book Maniac‘s channel, talking about queer books for Pride month: https://youtu.be/8rh0YxZiUrE
#LGBTQ #Queer

Ha!

Hiromi Goto‘s new novel is now in my hands. It‘s in comics format with art by Ann Xu. 😍