Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back

Gr 4-8–Chan perfectly captures the voice of her 13-year-old self in this graphic memoir. Moving from Toronto to Hong Kong sends Ruth into a panic. She will be leaving her very best friends, she barely speaks any Cantonese, and her brother won’t be there. Her father’s job will take him to China for long stretches, leaving Ruth the sole target for her mother’s high expectations. Ruth is faced with a completely different culture where she is not “Chinese enough,” as well as common new kid issues of making friends and trying to fit in. This is compounded by the language barrier, especially when interacting with her mom’s family, attending a private school that is German-based, and finding herself alone more than she expected. Chan frames some pivotal moments in the book with a retelling of her grandparents’ harrowing journey, fleeing the Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War. These passages are illustrated in sepia tones. Ruth realizes that she is developing the same family characteristics of courage, perseverance, and patience. Family love and support are present throughout the story, even when Ruth doesn’t see it herself. The full-color, detailed illustrations capture every high and low, pulling readers into the experiences. Panel sizes vary in ways that match the emotions perfectly, such as when Ruth swims in her apartment complex pool.