I cannot ever envisage a point where the slightly naughty wordplay of Huda Fahmy’s graphic novel titles will ever get wearisome. The follow-up to Huda F Are You? her most recent book Huda F Cares? is another witty but poignant look at the experiences of a young American Muslim woman. If you are unaware of Fahmy’s approach from previous comics work she uses an on-page version of herself in stories that are not strictly autobiographical but still draw from personal experience to some degree.
Huda F Cares? feels more consciously structured in terms of narrative than previous books. The premise is based on that most potentially fractious of familial interactions – the family holiday. When her parents propose a summer trip to Disney World Huda and her sisters are incredibly excited at the prospect. But there are other realities to be faced given the claustrophobic environment this will entail, both during the car journey there and in the forced company of each other while on vacation. Unavoidable bickering, sisterly fallings out, and parental disappointment soon inevitably ensue…
Fahmy’s great skill as a storyteller is to combine very funny character pieces with those more touching observations about contemporary perceptions of Islam. This is a book that explores universal themes about the complexities of the relationships between sisters and the importance of family. But its dual role is to communicate how it feels to be othered, as the on-page Huda becomes increasingly self-conscious about her Muslim identity. From being stared at for praying in public to dealing with inappropriate behaviour from toxic young men, through to being let down by a new friend she makes at the park, it’s an account which blends stark candour with its pithy humour throughout.
Visually, Fahmy’s work is stripped back to the representational basics of characters and environments ensuring through that minimalism that we connect emotionally with her characters all the more. Cutaways, asides and visual metaphors (the two constantly arguing symbols of her subconscious in particular) are all used cleverly to add to the comedy, and sometimes even the pathos, of events. A new book, Huda F Wants to Know?, is coming from Fahmy later this year. Welcome news indeed for anyone already invested in the endearing and relevant world of Huda F.
Huda Fahmy (W/A) • Dial Books, £10.99
Review by Andy Oliver
