離婚的單親媽媽Charlene,一邊作為忙碌的急診室護理人員,支撐起全家生計,另一邊還要照顧年幼的兒子Brandon以及年邁衰弱的老父親。身為家中唯一的支柱,Charlene永遠將自己擺在最後一位。一直到父親逝世,巨大的悲傷籠罩下,她陷入了重度憂鬱中。眼前似乎什麼都被忽略,滿地的垃圾、一整疊未拆封的信,還有Brandon。在一切混亂中,離家已久、四處漂泊的業餘音樂家弟弟Robbie突然回來了,一邊擔心姊姊、試著安撫姪子,同時,他也不得不重新面對與父親發生衝突的記憶。而看似安靜乖巧的Brandon,也有自己的煩惱,除了擔心家中那隻跑不見的貓Batman,對於外公的過世,他也隱隱自責……。
三人將一步步學習如何好好地過生活,度過心裡的悲傷,與其共存。
這部精采的作品擁有俐落的線條與構圖、沉穩的配色、傷痛與溫柔並存的故事情節,任何讀者都能在其中找到共鳴。
(文/博客來編譯)
2023 Whiting Award Winner in Fiction
2022 LA Times Book Prize WINNER, Graphic Novel/Comics
2022 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize Honor Book
In this graphic novel, Charlene is a divorced mom, has a young son named Brandon, and works full-time as a nurse while also caring for her infirm father. She is barely holding their lives together when tragedy strikes and leaves Charlene and Brandon on their own. Charlene, who has put everyone but herself first for years, sees it as an opportunity for a new start of sorts. That is, at least, until her easy-come, easy-go brother, Robbie -- a well-intentioned but unserious semi-professional musician -- rolls back into town after a long absence. Brandon, a good kid who aches for life to return to normal, focuses his grief on his cat, Batman, who hasn’t been seen for a few days since he ran into the sugar cane fields that lie on the edge of their housing tract.
No One Else is a graphic novel of great tender truth, as Charlene, Brandon, and Robbie learn to navigate life day to day with their plans, fears, and desires. Gorgeously drawn and set in the author’s hometown on the Hawaiian island of Maui, it is the long-awaited follow up to Johnson’s acclaimed debut graphic novel, Night Fisher, and a mature work of literary fiction that is certain to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.