Shing Yin Khor

graphic nonfiction- (lightish) brown-skinned Malaysian-American nonbinary/genderqueer illustrator (whom strangers assume is female and it's often safer to let them think that, it's only barely mentioned on the book jacket so most readers likely wouldn't even think about it either) drives with their small dog Bug from Los Angeles to Chicago along historic Route 66 in 2016 (pre-election). They pass through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, but don't quite find the sense of self they're looking for, though it is a memorable journey.

I always enjoy Khor's illustrations and skill in presenting their stories, however, this is one of those journeys that feel a little empty/unsatisfying. But it is interesting to see a picture of America right before the Trump Presidency, when it was relatively safer for a brown person to travel through certain areas alone.… (mais)