Madame Livingstone

Not a simple action-oriented graphic representation, the colourful and often lurid visuals carry readers into places that their own minds may well have resisted. One can see the environment, visualize the territory, and conjure the many overarching and continual racist tensions. [...] This can be an engaging and conflicting experience that increases the adventure and supports Barly Baruti's statement: 'Comics are good dialogue.'' - Historical Novels Review The complexities of war are explored with a curious what-if twist in this elegantly drawn adventure. [...] a well-researched drama of human connections forged in an inhumane period. -Publishers Weekly Madame Livingstone uses a World War I conflict in the Congo as the backdrop for an exciting adventure, glimpsing into the country's history of colonial exploitation. [...] Madame Livingstone is a rousing historical tale. Its excellent, authentic art is attentive to details when picturing boats, airplanes, uniforms, and Congolese clothing and landscapes. -Foreword Reviews There have been countless narratives about people who are torn between two racial heritages, but for the most part, Madame Livingstone felt like a fresh and nuanced character study. Livingstone knows exactly who he is; he has an affinity for his famous father and Scottish heritage, but his central motivation is to protect his African family and community and see the European war in Central Africa end as quickly as possible. The result felt like a nuanced meditation on the forms resistance can take within a colonial system. [...] [A] unique and important graphic novel. -2021 VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award Committee Belgian comics curator Cassiau-Haurie (Le Singe Jaune) and Congolese cartoonist Baruti (Chaos Debout a Kinshasa) team up for a stellar historical graphic novel about another partnership, in the context of European colonialism in Africa during World War I. [...] Based on a true incident, this beautifully rendered and rousing graphic novel will give readers naive about Belgian colonialism an entry point for understanding viewpoints and outcomes. - Library Journal