134 pages
English language
Published Dec. 31, 2019 by Fantagraphics Books.
The graphic novel The House is at once deeply personal (dedicated to Roca’s own deceased father) and entirely universal. Three adult siblings return to their family’s vacation home a year after their father’s death. They each bring their respective wives, husbands, and children with the intention to clean up the residence and put it on the market. But, as garbage is hauled off and dust is wiped away, decades-old resentments quickly fill the vacant home. Roca asks what happens to brothers and sisters when the only person holding the family together is now gone. Full-color illustrations throughout
Going through grief is definitely not easy. Especially during such hard times. The few occasions of me grieving happened when I was too young to really grasp the heaviness of it. But I suppose as we grow, the chances of needing to mourn for someone only grow exponentially. It is helpful, then, to have someone share their emotions through a book. The asynchronous and alone nature of reading gives you all the time you need to absorb and appreciate.
