Charlotte Schallié

The easy comparison for this graphic novel chronicling the stories of four child survivors of the Holocaust is Art Speigelman’s classic and groundbreaking publication Maus, but to my eye the two are so starkly different that the comparison doesn’t hold much real weight beyond a surface level. Sure, they both add to the canon of Holocaust remembrance, but I think that lumping survivor stories together too simply diminishes their uniqueness within the whole. But I Live breaks new ground in gathering stories told through the eyes of child survivors (now grown) with the idea of connecting younger readers to their historical contemporaries, and using a graphic novel format to further increase interest and accessibility. Their stories are told via an informal narrative of conversation between the artist and the survivor, focusing predominantly on historical memories but finding grounding through occasional moments of “current” conversation that bring the stories back into the present day. The personalities of all of the survivors (and their paired artist) come to the forefront with this technique, which brings to life their unique experiences which chronicle different aspects of the Holocaust depending on where each experience was - because, undoubtedly, not all Holocaust experiences were the same, even if common elements emerge. What I found startling about these stories was how new the narratives seemed, and how sharply real they became as the breadth and depth of human experience was explored. Whether it was the unsettling composition and frantic action of “A Kind of Resistance,” the soft palette and occasional humour of the Kamp brothers, or the repeating refrain of “I don’t remember” as Barbara Yelin’s memory circles through her trauma, the stories are a powerful example of oral history and arts-informed inquiry. As the editorial team explains in their afterword (a handy addition for educators and those looking for some expected academic substance and support), this is an exciting new mode of research that carries on the ever-important act of remembrance. May the shadows of these survivors (and others) continue to cast far as they continue to stand tall and bring history into the present.… (meer)