By Carly Smith
In 1993, author Thomas King published a short story entitled “Borders.” Now, in collaboration with the artist Natasha Donovan, this story has been reimagined in graphic novel form. The 2021 version of Borders explores the varied perspectives of an Indigenous family’s identity, as well as the pain of letting go of a child entering adulthood. In this graphic novel, a boy travels to the American border from the Canadian side with his mom to visit his sister, who has recently left home. When his mom is questioned about her citizenship by the border guards, she offers an answer deemed unacceptable. Mother and son return to the Canadian border, being denied entry again. King intertwines flashbacks which complement the main plot in a way that helps the reader more accurately understand each character and the family dynamic.
The main characters in the book are the son, his sister Laetitia, and their mom. The son is an innocent boy who has yet to become aware of the hardships of bureaucracy for those who identify as Indigenous. He is also naïve to his mother’s pride. His young and unperturbed mind allows readers to recognize the differences between his mom and Laetitia, as well as between his mom and the border guards, with minimal bias. This clever and strategic decision by King makes it difficult to immediately choose a specific side in the arguments the readers encounter, creating curiosity, understanding and empathy. The mother character is full of passion and pride; she is proud of her Indigenous heritage, refusing to identify as a Canadian. She is also struggling with her daughter’s decision to move out and leave their community. Finally, Laetitia is a carefree young woman who is ready for adventure. She is optimistic, insightful, and pleasant. The three personalities come together quite harmoniously even though they are so different.
King chooses the themes of pride and family wisely and, at times, he even beautifully combines them. Dialogues between characters are carefully written to accurately convey different tones and viewpoints, making it feel like the reader is not just passing between frames in the graphic novel, but instead as though the reader has immersed themself in the story and is standing next to those participating in the conversations. A quick, yet thought-provoking read, Borders is sure to ignite curiosity about what it means to be Indigenous in Canada and what family means to you.
Thank you, HarperCollins Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.