Étienne Davodeau
At the end of yet another unproductive job interview, Lulu, on a whim, takes off for the shore just to get away from it all. She's got a husband and kids left bewildered but it's nothing against them. This is just her time, getting away from the grind and being taken for granted with no other plan than savoring it.
Surprised at her own temerity, she meets other people on the edge of the world. It wasn't meant to be for long. It wasn't meant to be anything but in the end, thrilling, fun, and possibly dangerous, this improvised experience will make of Lulu a different woman. By the author of the acclaimed The Initiates.
REVIEW:
Recommended by Unshelved.
"BEST COMIC OF 2015. The art is extraordinary at capturing the ordinary, from Lulu's joyful homelessness to her daughter's surprise at where her mother's new life has taken her."
-The Beat
"Capably transitions from kitchen tables to beaches, talking heads to dance parties—no location or emotion is beyond the reach of his expression. Such art softens the blow of nothing ever turning out as expected and turns it to delight. Best experienced all in one sitting, like a long exhalation."
-VOYA
"This is a tale that can be related to by many people… I was instantly drawn to the mellow simplicity of it all."
-Bleeding Cool
"The graphic novel Gone Girl."
-Toronto Globe and Mail
"A wonderful addition to NBM ComicsLit’s library"
-Sequential Tart
"A work of exquisite restraint and complex emotion, Étienne Davodeau’s lush illustration and precise sense of pacing enchant the reader with sublime storytelling craft, in this beautiful English translation from NBM."
-Broken Frontier
"The quiet competence of the artwork brings a stillness to the work, as if characters and readers alike are holding their breath in anticipation of ... what? The narrative gives you an answer, but as with “Lulu Anew” in general, the reader will have a genuinely personal reaction."
-Andrew ‘Capt. Comics’ Smith, Tribune News Service
"The rather astonishing achievement of Étienne Davodeau's new graphic novel is that, despite telling a tale that screams "Lifetime movie," it's actually both surprising and unique."
-Etelka Lehoczky, NPR
“Have you ever wanted to run away from your life for a day, a month, a year? Meet Lulu, wife and mother of three, who does just that. A beautiful narrative, a thought-provoking journey, highly recommended for all adult audiences.”
-Library Journal starred review
"Mature readers will appreciate Lulu’s bittersweet journey as she sheds the trappings of an unfulfilling life and forges a new path for herself."
-Booklist
"Skillfully unsentimental characterizations, light and earthy watercolors, and everyday goings-on reveal a familiar recognizable world, but Davodeau (The Initiates) merges these elements into an enchanting realism. Davodeau’s brilliance is connecting it all into a deeply affecting story about how we seek to change our lives."
-Publishers Weekly starred review
"Pleased to see more of his work available in English, and looking forward to seeing how he fares with a fictional narrative."
-Comics Alliance
8 ½ x 11, 160pp. full-color hardcover, $27.99
ISBN: 978-1-56163-972-4