From the creators of Alte Zachen, this is Cicada’s first adult graphic novel.
Miri is the exhausted mother of a screaming newborn and four-yearold Frances, who refuses to give up her shushu (pacifier). When Miri’s judgmental mother-in-law, Bella, arrives, she’s more of a burden than
a help; criticising mealtimes, bedtimes, and of course, the ever-present shushu. When not dispensing unsolicited advice, Bella lounges in a Valium-induced haze on the sofa.
Miri is overwhelmed – not just by Bella, but by the new roles she finds herself in. Her identity is subsumed in the relentless rhythm of nursery runs, dinner prep and the demands of domesticity. All the while, Frances,
ever watchful, gathers her lessons in silence.
This is a tender, sharp and quietly powerful story about the isolation of motherhood and the pacifiers – both literal and metaphorical – we pass down through generations.