49 Days
Agnes Lee
Levine Quierido
Published March 5, 2024
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About 49 Days
Day 1
Gotta get up. Gotta keep moving. This map – it says I have to cross over here. Wait, what’s that…?
And so begins a graphic novel story unlike any 49 Days. In Buddhist tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can fully cross over. Here in this book, readers travel with one Korean American girl, Kit, on her journey, while also spending time with her family and friends left behind.
Agnes Lee has captivated readers across the world for years with her illustrations for the New York Times Metropolitan Diary. Her debut graphic novel is an unforgettable story of death, grief, love, and how we keep moving forward.
My Review
One of the things I love about this book is how immersive it is. Kit wakes up on a beach and swears, so I knew things were not good. It took several pages for me to feel like I found my feet in the story, but I think that was the author’s intent. It emphasizes that Kit is in a new space, figuring things out on her own. As her experience triggers memories from her life, we see those memories play out in short scenes. We see her family light incense and pray as they grieve their loss. When the story shifts from those prayer scenes back to Kit on her journey, it seems the prayers have fortified her and helped move her forward on her journey.
The panels and scenes are often understated in muted grayscale with tan colors. The characters’ emotions also often seem understated. It’s clear Kit’s family misses her, but they seem somber at first. As the story progresses, they experience moments of intense grief that create powerful moments. I think I cried like three times reading this book.
Another wonderful thing about the book is the way that food connects the characters. As a girl raised in a big Italian family, this resonated with me so much. I love that making food together was a connection between Kit and her mom, and that it becomes a vehicle through which her family celebrates their love for her even after she has passed.
The author includes a note after the story concludes explaining her intent and her decision to keep Buddhist practices vague in the text to respect the different ways people practice faith. She names the rituals and practices represented in the book, too.
I actually heard about this book because I read a wild review by someone who I think didn’t get the book at all. It made me curious enough to track down a copy, and I’m really glad I did.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Representation
Kit and her family are Korean American.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
One F-bomb and a small number of other expletives.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
Kit dies before the story begins, and the story follows her 49-day journey between life and rebirth, called bardo, as part of the Buddhist faith. Her family lights incense and prays, following funeral rites called cheondojae.
Violent Content
References to death, though we do not see how Kit died. In her 49-day journey, she has several moments where she resets following what would have been a fatal choice.
Drug Content
None.
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