Sarah Laing (1) (1973–)

Things I enjoyed most about this collection of comics about Sarah Laing's life and struggles therewith:
• A cat fixated on her daughter's mice, but not sure why. "(I haven't yet finalised my strategy.)"
• Her son Otto trapped in a terrible dilemma: "How am I going to eat this slushy AND play Pokémon Go?"
• The philosophical refrigerator repairman: "A fridge is no way to judge a person. People are people. They are complex. They are more than what they eat. Now hand me that kettle."
Full of show more little gems. show less

When Rebecca was young she enjoyed classical music and was delighted to inherit her German- Jewish grandmother's cello. She proved adept and earned a scholarship to the London Conservatorium. However, away from family and friends she loses her way and fails her first year. She has decided that she wants to form a band and play modern cello music. On her return she sets her sights on New York. She and her boyfriend Toby move there. For Sarah it is an opportunity to meet her grandmother's show more sister and found out more about their young life. Her great aunt is a Type 1 diabetic like Sarah and a bond is formed.
The story moves between several time frames including her grandmother's early years travelling from Germany, to New York, to New Zealand.
This is Laing's first novel and it is very accomplished. This is the second novel I have read of hers and again I really enjoyed her writing. I hope she is penning another although I see she has turned to graphic novels. show less

A useful corrective to From Earth's End, the Aotearoa comics history dominated by men. Some marvellous New Zealand comics made by women in this collection. And some that are just awful and probably should have been cut were the editors more ruthless. Ah well. Also, and unavoidably I guess, it's $50.

"Let me be Frank" is Sarah Laing's memoir of her five months as the Frank Sargeson Fellow, a literary fellowship in Auckland. It's an entertaining book that shows off her skills as both an author and a graphic artist, though ironically, one of the themes of the book is that having well-developed skills in both these areas makes it hard for her to be taken as seriously as she would like in either.

If that makes the book sound like an exercise in whinging, it isn't - instead, it's a well-told show more (and drawn) tale of balancing literary life and motherhood. show less