A review by crocus_and_clematis
This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America by Navied Mahdavian

funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

TLDR; Really nice graphic novel, funny but thought-provoking. Must read for anyone dreaming of escaping to the country. 

I’ve been getting back into graphic novels this year, and I was especially excited to see this one on the NPR “Books We Love” list. Since very early in our relationship, my partner and I have talked about moving away from the city and starting a little ranch somewhere (we fancy raising alpacas). So, this book felt a little personal. I was secretly hoping for some kind of road map, for Mahdavian to give up the secret for how to find place and home somewhere in the country. 

While this book wasn't that guide, Mahdavian offers an insightful and humorous reflection on belonging and division, all while painting a vivid portrait of rural life. His thoughtful contemplations on farming, nature, and the challenges of rural living are interwoven with depictions of the ignorance and fear present in rural America. As a resident of a predominantly conservative city, I've noticed many of the contrasts Mahdavian highlights. Friendly locals with signs telling you to "go back where you came from if you don't vote like I do." Elderly men lamenting the country's division while spouting slurs in the same breath. 

I was disappointed when, in the first few pages of the book, Mahdavian admitted that they moved away from their Idaho home in three years. I was almost offended that this couple I had never met had achieved the millennial dream only to abandon it up so quickly. This fact hung over me for the entirety of the novel, and kept me looking for the why. And the why was that they didn’t want this culture— the culture of rural America, of red hats and gun collections, of being suspicious of people with a different skin color, sexuality, or religion, to rub off on their daughter. They wanted better for her. 

This is why Mahdavian’s novel had such a huge impact on me. How do you reconcile the dream of finding a patch of land to nurture and grow with when the culture surrounding is less than nurturing? And how do we, as a national community, foster kindness and acceptance in our most insular communities? "This Country" provides plenty of laughter, but these questions left me yearning for a version of America I'm unsure ever existed. With his sharp wit and stunning illustrations, Mahdavian paints a poignant picture of life in the country's remote areas. This book serves as a powerful reflection on America and belonging, and I highly recommend it to anyone grappling with their place in an increasingly unstable America.