gao, laura

Presents a graphic novel memoir in which the queer Asian American author toggles between the past and the present as she describes her childhood in Wuhan, China, growing up with her Chinese immigrant parents in Texas, her budding attraction to other girls, and the arrival of the COVID-19 virus.

Seamlessly toggling between past and present, this funny graphic memoir follows a queer Chinese American's immigration to Texas where she just wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why she is attracted to girls.

"After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars--at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter"--From the publisher's web site.