Fun Home

Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, 234 pages

Growing up in the Bechdel household wasn't always easy. Alison's father, Bruce, was often distant, more preoccupied with renovating their old home or gardening than with being an involved parent. So when Alison comes out in college, it comes as a surprise when her mother calls her later to tell her that her father has had affairs with other men. And it comes as a shock when, a few weeks later, she gets a call saying her father has been killed in an apparent car accident. In this graphic memoir, Alison examines her childhood and her father, discussing her journey to coming out, and how growing up and living in a small town kept her father in the closet. This part is especially important, as the Bechdels owned the funeral home (the eponymous fun home) in town, which helped keep her father in Beech Creek. This was one I had been meaning to read for awhile, especially since it's been challenged a lot (reading banned books is almost a requirement for being a librarian, y'know), and I enjoyed it. It's interesting how Alison examines her father, their relationship, and their shared sexual identity. While there's a sense of melancholy throughout the book, you definitely get a sense of love there, even if it's buried deep. A perfect choice for anyone who enjoys memoirs and biographies, especially told in comic format.