“An engaging piece of long-form journalism . . . Ginseng Roots is Thompson’s most visually arresting work so far . . . His most interesting characters contain subtle subversions, have surprising motivations, or remain mysterious even to themselves.”
—New York Times Book Review
“Ambitious . . . an examination of the intricate, global web of labor, production and consumption.”
—NPR
“Craig Thompson’s sometimes aching reflection on his roots in the soil and culture of rural Wisconsin is also a tender love letter to ginseng and to the diverse, compelling, and often quirky people who struggle to make it grow. A sweeping story, gorgeously drawn and beautifully told — this is Craig Thompson’s masterpiece.”
—Joe Sacco, author of Palestine and Paying the Land
“Soulful, funny, and exquisitely drawn. Like Blankets, Ginseng Roots is a modern classic: moving, and weirdly educational—a gentle yet perspicacious story of global politics, capitalism, religion, and life at the edges of all of those forces.”
—The Guardian
“Craig Thompson’s new graphic novel is a towering achievement . . . nothing else like it exists.”
—The Observer
“Returning to Craig’s roots in rural Wisconsin, Ginseng Roots is part systems exploration, part cultural history — but most uniquely, it is an exercise in journalistic listening as an act of devotion. Even as Craig painfully questions his upbringing and his own beliefs about work, he expresses a hope for healing and an ultimate acceptance of imperfection and grace.”
—Thi Bui, author of The Best We Could Do
“Craig Thompson’s best book-length comic, full stop. It’s a formal triumph, a pained and complicated human story, and a didactic marvel — something I expect to reread and dip into again and again. Quixotic, genre-defying, and strange.”
—Charles Hatfield, The Comics Journal
“An epic accomplishment . . . . Ginseng Roots is what it should be: a medicinal herb you steep in. And it’s the right medicine for the moment . . . a layered, rhizomatic reading experience.”
—Hyperallergic
“Poignant and memorable . . . a spectacular and inspired graphic memoir that traces the many threads of a remarkable root.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“[Thompson’s] signature style . . . remains as affecting as ever, creating another painstakingly multilayered title to add to shelves everywhere, including (hopefully) again, in his parents’ home.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A feat of generous observation, this stands with Thompson’s very best work.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A visually rich, emotionally resonant work of true ambition and sophistication from one of the most sensitive storytellers currently working in any medium or genre.”
—Library Journal
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