The Roots of My Hair. Lou Lubie. Helvetiq. 2026. 220pp. $24.95.
This graphic novel grabbed my attention right from the start, provoking questions and alternatively answering them in a steady and impressive back and forth rhythm. Lou Lubie delves deeply into the subject of hair as someone fully committed and passionate to the task. I know hair is part of my identity. I’ve changed it up over the years, from super short to super long, only answering to myself. This I relate well with Lubie who has gone on a particularly challenging journey from as far back as she can remember, having to confront her own mother’s obsession with keeping her daughter’s naturally curly hair at bay. This is a story, among other things, about Lubie’s right to her own body, specifically her hair.
Just like my writing a review of a graphic novel takes work, building it up bit by bit, willing it into existence, so I am humbled by all the thoughtful details that go into this book, all seeming to effortlessly fit into place. Ah, now this is a work of integrity: honest, focused and purposeful. There is definitely no one definitive way to create a graphic novel. That’s the beauty of the art form which includes everything from the most raw and experimental to the highly polished. This work is in a more traditional graphic novel format with an educational component to it. This book has been acknowledged in Europe and won awards there. Now, available in English for the first time, it makes its way across the pond.
Our story follows Rose, the author’s alter ego, a mixed-race young woman, split between identifying as white or Black. Her family is from a remote area known as Réunion Island, located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It was a French colony from 1642 until 1946. By the time her parents are born in the 1960s, and into the present, the region reverberates from its colonialist past, that established deeply entrenched social, racial and economic hierarchies. Rose grew up to aspire to the sleek flowing hair of the white minority, who were at the top of the social strata. Kinky hair was looked down upon as coming from the Black community, at the bottom of the strata. Rose’s mother struggles with the brainwashing of what had been accepted as social norms. Rose, herself, while ever defiant, must also face her own struggles to overcome a misguided, and outright racist, mindset once she tries to find her place at a liberal arts college in Paris. The fairy tale fantasy of a princess with flowing hair is very alluring and hard to fight off.
Throughout the book, Lubie provides various passages that inform the reader on pertinent information related to the unfolding narrative. It is accomplished very deftly, in a natural way that keeps to the flow and tone of the work. It begins gradually, with a casual analysis of Rose’s family’s hair types. Then we move along to a more formal look at hair types. Next thing you know, we’re covering genealogy, biology and history.
Lou Lubie has a very clean and lean drawing style that is direct and impactful. Lubie has something specific to say, avoids detours, and pursues a clear consistent path. Her mission is to remain focused and follow her story’s own specificity. The goal is to follow a young woman’s journey, from childhood to adulthood, as she must process what it means to be a fully realized person, sometimes having to be at odds with the majority. Lubie’s Rose is a fighter, up for a fight, even when success seems out of reach. In the end, it was never out of reach at all. What a satisfying and hard won touch of insight!
Lou Lubie has created a very inspiring work! It’s great to find a graphic novel that delivers on so many levels. Lubie even provides endnotes at the back of the book, something that more graphic novelists should consider. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to tackle a graphic novel. Some books are more spot on than others and this one is high on my list. It will be on yours too.
