I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
A gorgeously drawn and well-written book about a school principal who decides to allow black girls to get an education. We see that the girls themselves are delighted to finally get a chance to study, we see them build friendships, have a good time... well as good as one can have given that the people from town are very much against coloured people making an appearance and getting an education. I was just disgusted by the townspeople, what a horrible horrible people. Just because people have a different colour doesn't make them any less or bad... I wanted to flip some stuff while reading this book. The ending was both hopeful and heartbreaking.
But sorry, I just wasn't interested in the little boy who ran around the woods. Couldn't care one iota about him. I am sorry, but I was wondering why that was added. Though OK, he didn't deserve what came to him. :(
I love the extra information at the beginning of the end! I learned new things today, and I love that we see what happened to several characters who truly existed!
The art was just GORGEOUS!

White All Around is a fascinating graphic novel adaption based on historical events. The story is well told and the art is beautiful, allowing the reader to truly see and understand what the students went through. I would highly recommend this to those interested in history and anti-racism.

Beautiful illustrations and color palette with fleshed out characters. Story was well paced and I loved the school setting.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This comic tells the story of Ms. Crandall's school for girls of color. After Ms. Crandall's "a white woman" starts to accept black girls to her school "in a white town" the teacher and her students face the wrath of an ignorant hateful community.
The amount of hate these women faced was appalling and thier strength was out of this world.
The art was mesmerizing!

An amazing book. I find myself as a white women, often very unaware of African American stories and history. So, this is a WONDERFUL way to educate myself. The art was also stunning, and overall the story was just very well done. It kept my attention until the very end!

Wonderfully compelling (if highly fictionalized) telling of the opening and brief existence of the Prudence Crandall School, America's first known integrated school (1832). The story begins shortly before the admission of Sarah Harris, a local young Black woman, and continues through the transition of Crandall to an all-Black school and, ultimately, the closure of the school following increasing violence on the part of local whites. A sub-story about Feral, a wild Black boy who eschews all trappings of modern life, is interwoven with that of the young scholars and poses the compelling question of what freedom is and how to obtain it.

3.5 Stars
The story of Sarah Harris, one of the young black women who just wanted an education that they deserved, at Miss Prudence Crandall's Boarding school.

I am starting this by acknowledging that a white author wrote this.
And because of that, it loses a star, I'm sorry, but it is how I feel.

A small recount of history drawn in a BEAUTIFUL art form shows the racism and sexism that these young women dealt with when trying to get an education. It showed both obvious and subtle reminders of their hardships, and their determination and the tragedy that happened to Charles hits home the dangers of their lives for simple living and wanting to be treated right. It also offered more snippets of history that I didn't know about and was interested in discovering -which I wish to learn more about.

It lost half a star because the story was a little random at times, and I felt uneasy when they described Nat Turner as a Cult leader because I don't believe that. I admit that I only learnt a little about him in school, so I will need to do research, but I don't believe that title.

First of all, this novel has an absolutely gorgeous art style. The plot itself was interesting, especially since it’s based on a true story. In my opinion some parts of the book were a bit confusing though and could’ve been left out.
Overall an interesting read with beautiful artwork.

This graphic novel was amazing, emotional, heartbreaking, and educational. I had never learned much about black history before, so I'm glad books like these exist to educate me and others. There are so many parts in this book that will just break your heart. This story is also based on true events which makes it even more painful to read. The fact that this happened and events like this still happen today frustrates me so much because why do people have to be so heartless. I really like how this book includes a "foreward" which has more info about the events that happen in the story. It was also so fascinating to read about the lives of the students who went to Prudence Crandall's school in the "afterword". The artwork was also very beautifully done. One critique was that the font was a bit hard to read especially when I read it on my Kobo, but it was definitely worth reading! I highly recommend this book!

4.5/5 Stars

‘White All Around’
‘Even in the land of the free, not all of American’s children are welcome’.

*** I received a free Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley. This review is entirely my own and reflects my honest opinion.

The year is 1832. We’re in Canterbury, Connecticut. A new female boarding school has opened, run by the Crandell family – with Prudence Crandell at the helm – and it has managed to find success among the townspeople. That is until Prudence opens up the school to young Black women. Suddenly the Crandell family and their students are faced with a string of violence and harassment, the townsfolk rapidly turning against them. In the so-called ‘free’ North, thirty years before the abolition of slavery in the United States of America, the students are met with a wave of hostility that puts the future of the school in question, and their very lives in peril.

Beautifully illustrated by Stephane Fert and accompanied by a well-thought-out script courtesy of Wilfrid Lupano, this graphic novel is a good introduction into the severe oppression faced by Black American women in the 1800s. Relying on both historical detail and fictionalised elements, ‘White All Around’ gives a strong overview of Prudence Crandell and her efforts to extend education to young Black women, despite threat from townsfolk and investors. It shows the lengths people are willing to go in order to do what is right. And, in the case of the townsfolk, how low some people will sink to assert their privilege.

I especially enjoyed the biographies of the African American women who attended Crandell boarding school, which was included at the end. It really helped assert that this was more than just a story and provided key information as to what happened after Crandell school was eventually burned down.

‘White All Around’ is an artistic venture into the past that affords us a glimpse into American history while never letting us forget that there is a lot of work still to be done…

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A graphic novel based on a true story about a woman who opens a boarding school to educate black girls in pre-civil war America.

The book is easy to read, interesting and educational. I love reading historical books and especially when they teach us about parts of history that are swept under the rug. The art is beautiful, it

The book moves quickly though, and it was hard to situate myself at times. I also feel like the story focused a lot on Prudence Crandall, and it would've been interesting to get some more depth about the students. I would definitely recommend researching more on the story if you read the book.

It's an enjoyable read and could be read easily with kids, if you want to talk about important subjects.

It feels so right to be reading this graphic novel this month. I have not learned this piece of history before and I really appreciate this book for opening my eyes to this story of some of the bravest women in American history. Personally, I found the character of the witch to be confusing, but that's the only complaint I have for this beautifully illustrated book.

An excellent graphic novel featuring the plight of Black women seeking education in the 1830's. The story art by Stephanie Fert drives the narrative and celebrates the beauty of POC and nature. A moment in the story that didn't sit well with me was when a White woman is questioned if she is. a witch due to her age and appearance. The white female character pictured playfully touching the characters hair and talking about it in a negative way. Whilst it may have been indicative of the time 1 do not think it was essential for the story.

This is a fascinating and moving story about the first boarding school for black girls in the US. It is quite heartwrenching because the story shows how the white people of influence in the town, did their utmost to close the school down by resorting to violence, threats, exclusion and even passing legislation. Even the small local church was complicit. A shameful perversion of the Gospel but not surprising because people will use any means as a weapon when seeking to discriminate or oppress others. Thankfully the courage of the teacher and students now echoes through history.

I thought the sections at the beginning and the end were very helpful if the reader wants to know more about the school and the history. I actually saw a TV programme which mentioned the school and so it has been good to read this. I wasn't too fond of the artwork but the story is gripping and a helpful introduction to the real history.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley.

Set in Connecticut in the 1830's, when slavery was still legal in the southern states. Although people of colour were "free" in the north, they did not enjoy the same rights as whites.

This beautiful illustrated story tells the true story of a white girls school where the owner decides to close her doors to white girls and start educating black and mixed race girls.

As other reviews have said, a large part of the story focuses on the white owner's story, when it would have been interesting to have understood what the individual students and their families went through in order to attend. That said, it is still a wonderful story, painted in a beautiful colour palette of muted colours and a rainbow of skin tones.

What I really loved about this book was the back pages where a lot more history was told about what happened to individuals within the story. I have had The Underground Railroad on my pile waiting to be read for ages and this graphic novel has really wet my appetite to read more on the topic.

My kids have recently become interested in graphic novels and this is one I will definitely be adding to their collection.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Europe Comics for a review copy of #WhiteAllAround

The writers tell a bittersweet story about racism and attempts to overcome it in 1800s America, which proves more complex and engaging than any similar works. The illustration style, which allows for characters who can seem caricatured or multilayered depending on the setup, adds more layers to the story and creates an engaging read.

As a historian, I’m always pro using various mediums to convey important historical issues. This graphic novel would do that very well for a middle grade audience. I agree with previous reviewers that there is too much focus on the school owner (which is ironic really).
The illustrations are gorgeous though and sometimes it can be hard to convey emotion through graphic novels - it’s done well here

Wilfred Lupano and Stéfane Gert's White All Around is a beautiful, evocative graphic novel about the Prudence Crandall boarding school and Black girls' right to education. Set in the early 19th century in Connecticut at the height of the abolitionist movement, Black people were "free" but were still fighting for civil rights.

This is a historical novel based on actual events. The students faced physical violence, deprivation of basic supplies, their teacher was thrown in jail and they were barred from the town's church. Ultimately, the school was burnt down by the townspeople who saw the education of Black girls as a threat and deprivation to their communities.

Just yesterday I was listening to Ezra Klein interview Heather McGhee (author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together). In the interview they talked about how in 1950s White communities in the US shut down public pools, depriving ALL, because they couldn't tolerate Black people being able to access them too.

The idea that public goods is a zero sum game is so ingrained and persisting in society still, the result is ultimately - everyone loses. It's the reason why in one of the richest countries in the world is still doesn't have UHC, maternity leave and a robust social safety net.

Okay, I didn't mean to get so serious on a review of a graphic novel, but this is the consequence of a great book! Thank you @netgalley and @europecomics for this eARC.

#whiteallaround #europecomics #netgalley
#blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #graphicnovel #graphicnovels #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #readersofinsta #igreads #comics

While I really loved the art of this book, the story didn't quite sit right with me. I think that the nature of how the story was told felt very forced and choppy. It really jumped out to me, and while i wanted to LOVE it, i just liked it. I also think that the info at the back of the book might have been more useful at the beginning of the book. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

White All Around dives into the history of Canterbury, Connecticut and tells the story of Prudence Crandall's Female Boarding School. Although Connecticut was part of the "free" North, people of color did not have the same rights as white people and not all white people were willing to make any changes to achieve it. When Prudence Crandall decided to start admitting black females to her school the town of Canterbury was not happy and went to great lengths to make that known.

White All Around is beautifully illustrated and does a great job telling the story of the boarding school's trials. This was a part of history that I was not previously familiar with and I enjoyed learning it through a graphic novel. I also appreciated the thorough research put into this novel which is shown in the Afterword at the end of the novel.