Off the Cuff

In a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, an Indian American girl growing up in a small Midwestern town finds the confidence to stop disappearing into the melting pot—and to be her best stand-out self. Woven with epistolary sidebars and lively doodles, a moving slice-of-life story about identity, authenticity, and navigating transitions is sure to charm fans of middle-grade graphic novels that tackle big themes with compassion and gentle humor. When Juhi moves away, leaving Priya to start middle school without a true friend at her side, Priya vows to reinvent herself. New school = new me, she thinks. Out with the old, in with the new. But when “new” classmates remind her that tradition falls into the category of “old,” Priya tries to blend in by hiding her culture and changing what makes her unique: her hair, her clothes, her interests. With only Juhi’s letters and their shared stories for comfort, Priya is becoming resigned to a future of conformity. Or can she find the strength to be herself—and prove that a potluck is better than a melting pot?