Alison tells the story of a young British woman who, in her twenties, seizes upon the opportunity to escape from her quiet life in Dorset to the thrumming art scene of late-1970s London. But the vehicle for her escape is a charismatic older man whose reputation as an artist and philanderer casts a shadow which will follow Alison for years as she pursues her painting career.

Combining immaculate prose and stunning artwork, Alison is a complex love and coming-of-age story, as well as a meditation on female friendship and empowerment, class and patriarchy, the creative process and the thorny world of fine art. British illustrator and author Lizzy Stewart crafts a graphic novel that evokes the atmospheric milieu of bohemian London in the late 20th century, while at the same time exploring the more universal struggles of women who must navigate male-dominated spaces.

Told through quietly powerful interpersonal moments rich with meaning and mood, this graphic novel will appeal to fans of Sally Rooney and Leanne Shapton, as well as the great empathic writers Alice Munro, Hilary Mantel, and Tessa Hadley.

Author: Lizzy Stewart
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 07/18/2023
Pages: 192
Weight: 1.54lbs
Size: 9.75h x 7.10w x 0.86d
ISBN: 9781683965817


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/10/2023

About the Author
Stewart, Lizzy: - Lizzy Stewart is an illustrator and author from Plymouth who lives and works in London. She has written and illustrated three picture books for children as well as the graphic novella Walking Distance and the graphic novel It's Not What You Thought It Would Be. Her debut picture book There's a Tiger in the Garden won the Waterstones Children's book prize for picture books in 2017 as well as a World Illustration Award. She teaches illustration at Goldsmith's college.