Stone Fruit

"I was immediately drawn to the opening scene in Lee Lai’s debut graphic novel, Stone Fruit. Six-year-old Nessie is running through the woods with her aunties, Ray and Bron, all in their loose and feral form. Their world at first appears magical, though Ray later explains that it’s just a state of play – something also accessible to adults. Nessie’s wiggly view of the world foils that of the other characters, who struggle between that looseness and the structures imposed by family, religion and heteronormativity. Lai poignantly illustrates the sometimes futile search for happiness and the grace in being open to the changes around us."