Ducks follows a young Kate Beaton turning to the job-rich oil sands of Alberta to pay off her student loans. Through simple black and white illustrations, it beautifully depicts the weight of the oil sands industry. Without compromising or falling back on shallow tropes, it conveys the joy, loneliness, grief, anger, hope, and humanity of the people who carry that weight as they try not to be crushed. I cannot recommend this book highly enough (though I encourage looking up themes and maturity level). I don’t think the subject matter would be as approachable if not in graphic novel form.

Ironically Illiterate