Alison Bechdel’s first graphic novel is a memoir of growing up in small town Pennsylvania with a family that always marched to its own drummer. When tragedy strikes, Bechdel and her family are forced to reconsider what they thought they knew about each other. A coming-out, coming-of-age story, yes; but also an eloquent testament to the power of literature, in that Bechdel constantly makes connections between her understanding of the world and the books she is reading.