A graphic novel that in no way is for everyone. It features two brothers, chalk and cheese visually if nothing else, who find out their first potential aunt lived for only five days. Their grandparents – those who had the child – went to Istanbul once to try and find the grave, but what with the passing of time and what with the family being of Armenian heritage, there was nothing left. And so our brothers go too, finding a cosmopolitan city they admire, anti-Erdogan riots – and still some stuffiness against the Armenian people the Turks tried to exterminate. This ends up a kind of meditation about homeland, the strength of family ties, the value in knowing family histories – and of course about the Armenian genocide, that Hitler once thanked for teaching him how to do it.

What the brothers see only raises more questions than answers, and the structure of the book is reflective of that – oddly, flashbacks to the men asking their grandfolks questions are written with such a flow to the story that they sound like 'now', not before the trip was fully planned. Yes there is clearly contact between France where the family lives and Turkey, but the scenes of the original conversations are written as if they took place during the trip. It's possibly only afterwards you see this as less than realistic, and it does bring an immediacy to things that the characters only benefit from, but it's there.

And yet this is not something anyone could universally recommend. It is, for one thing, about a dead child, and racism, and genocides, and how all that weaves into a happy, successful pair of elderly people who are seeing their proxies revisit it all. Oh, and beyond those triggers you have the Turkish politics, too. It clearly is too serious and personal a piece to have genre trappings, like a child-seeking thriller, and that again is a reason why it's understated nature is not a populist one. I wasn't ungrateful for the chance to read it, but I can't really praise it either, and wouldn't ever consider returning. But while in its company it was a likeably thoughtful read – three and a half stars.

A really beautiful story of finding who you are through looking into your past. The muted palate is stunning throughout the book, it really suits to tone of the story. Overall I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel and will definitely revisit it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Europe Comics and Clement for the advanced copy.

I enjoyed delving into a history I didn't know much about. Very interesting read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics!

Carole is an autobiographical graphic novel about Clément C. Fabre's journey with his brother, Robin, as they venture back to their grandparents hometown of Istanbul, Turkey in search of their dead infant aunt's grave--one of the money, but by far the most important, things lost to their grandparents during the years following the first Armenian genocide.

Carole, their deceased aunt, is an unspoken ache haunting two generations of Clément's family--to the point he was in the dark about it for 28 years. A conversation between his therapist, an elderly Jewish man hinted at being a survivor of the Holocaust, gave him the much needed yet gentle push to dig into his family's history: to find the root of the unrest he'd been avoiding in his sessions the past year. The therapist's encouragement comes to fruition when Clément and Robin catch up on their train ride to their mother's. Robin brings up Carole in passing, and Clément's sense of self implodes.

Talk of visiting Istanbul ensues on the train ride and is solidified on a visit to their grandparents with their mother. Finally, after too many years of it being absent, Clement's curiosity about his family and its origins flourishes. Plans are made, and Robin and Clément retrace the steps their grandparents took in their brief life together along the streets and paths of Istanbul: in search of closure and identity hidden in the echoes of deeply wrought generational trauma.

A touching gem of a story about transgenerational trauma and loss in the wake of ethnocultural genocide and diaspora, Carole is a watercolor love letter to the artist family, and to all who have been spiritually and geographically displaced.

It's beautiful and bittersweet.
You'll feel Clément and his family's loss.
You will be reminded of your own.
You'll be better for it.

Book 138 of 200 ~ 2023

🌟🌟🌟💫

I love the bond between the brothers and their grandparents. I felt that gave this story a good flow and pulls in the reader. The brothers bantered about turning this investigative journey of their late aunt Carole into a graphic novel and possibly becoming the next Persepolis, I am sorry to say, it is not anywhere close.

I had my own ideas about who Carole could be and where to find her grave... but when the ending came, it seemed apt and something I, as the reader, had to accept just like the brothers did.

What annoyed me yet intrigued me the most was the type of font used. At times, it was a real pain to read, but something in this novel mentioned how certain typography is linked to certain cultures or countries.. so maybe that's why the font was the way it was, but though it was pretty, reading it on a tablet is another story. *ugh*.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A graphic novel about generational trauma. It really was a beautiful book to look out and read. Although the story was tough to read at times it was lovely to look at. I did feel like the lettering could have been a little clearer but maybe that is better in print. Traveling to Istambul and learning about the Armenian genocide are heavy subjects but dealt with very sensitively.

I completed this book, enjoyed it. I've never read anything about a genocide or political issue in Turkey. I felt that this book gave me more knowledge about something I hadn't known about before. This is always a good point for me when I'm reading. However I felt that it was a little choppy. I'm not sure if it was because this is translated or maybe if it could have been laid out better in a chapter book style. The art style in this book was nice as well.

Thanks NetGalley and Europe Comics for this arc!

4/5 stars

This was a touching graphic memoir about two brothers searching for answers and closure for their grandparents. The story was very good, if a little confusing at times. There would be parts that took place in the past/future and it was a bit hard to tell what time that part of the story was set in. I really enjoyed this, and it's interesting in how it shows how our memories aren't always reliable.

This is an interesting graphic novel which explores family history and how this can shape and influence us in ways that we are not always aware of. The artwork is beautiful and it is an intriguing story. My only criticism is the way the story moved between the past and the present was sometimes difficult to follow, but other than that it is an engaging story.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

<blockquote>We really thought we had witnessed something amazing with those protests.
We thought we were watching the world change in front of us and that things never be the same.</blockquote>
I have received this Graphic Novel ARC in exchange for an honest review, Thanks to Europe Comics, Thanks to Clement Fabre, for this amazing journey.

Revolution, i remember that was how we collectively as Egyptians felt witnessing the end of a tyrant reign, how he was brought to court for his crimes.
But then it all slipped from our hands like quick sand, The Tyrant was found not guilty in all his crimes, all the protestors killers were found not guilty for their crimes.
Protestors were systematically killed by the army regime that had taken over ruling at that time, till elections were made, aided by the police whose job is supposed to be protecting us, not help oppress us.
And if you were a little famous, they would scare you into leaving by sending people who you think are your friends to tell you they intend to put you in jail, that along with all the death threats of course.
End result is, another tyrant regime in Al Sisi, who has been ruling for 10 years and is already running for a third term of 6 years after he changed the constitution, the current best hope for an opposition met with the same tactics to thwart a legit new runner in the next elections, Al Sisi is using What's happening in Gaza to try to either gain economical support or maybe cement his place as Egypt's president till he dies.
And me probably going to jail for saying all that 😅

If we look at the French revolution in history books, and when it finally got a good constitution we will know, that yeah things don't magically change after one revolution, and after so many losses in life, and so many imprisoned, you have to keep hammering, Did Egyptians break the wall of fear or no, i have no idea, what that guy did was courageous and he had support, but still it's not visible where we go from here.

Sorry for the long Egyptian politics opener, rarely anybody read reviews on goodreads anyway.
<blockquote>I was sure i was going to hate this country.
But in fact it's beautiful, I don't want to leave.
I have a strong feeling that i belong here.</blockquote>
Carole was beautiful, Carole was heartbreaking, Carole was the exploration of Trauma through generation, Carole was the exploration of your heritage if you are an immigrant who never visited home, Carole was the exploration of ourselves and our Familial bonds.
Carole was Hope And Despair And Change all at the same time.

Carole is a real life story of Clement Fabre and his brother Robin who are French from Armenian descent whose grand-grand parents lived through the Armenian Genocide by the Ottomans in Turkey in 1890.
Clement and his brother explore their heritage through searching for the lost Grave of Carole, The Baby sister of their mother who died five days only after her birth.
They are in Turkey in a critical time where there is protests against the current Turkish Tyrant Ragab Tayyb Erdogan, and yeah he is still ruling so obviously they failed.

I really loved That clement waited so long to write and draw this Graphic novel, because we got glimpses of how the family has fared in those years, just little glimpses but they were beautiful and sometimes sad.

Overall amazing experience that made me cry in the end, but i have a ruling to not be a suck up and change my rating after an emotional ending, so we remain at 3 stars.
If you are reading this to learn about the Genocide sadly, it won't be much help, but it's not like we can't read about it online, consider this an introduction, a glimpse into the fact that Yeah The Ottomans among their many horrendous crimes did in fact almost wipe out The Armenians, killing all men, and forcing women and children into converting to Islam.

A personal story, family history, and Turkish politics. And above all, Istanbul. Its beauty radiates from every picture.
Unfortunately, two things didn't work for me - the text (individual letters) was harder to read. There were a lot of flashbacks in the story. As much as I like them, they didn't suit me here.
I liked the scenes directly from Istanbul. The atmosphere of the city is very well conveyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a free digital review copy. This is my honest review.

A touching commentary on intergenerational familial relations, grief, and discovery. I loved this book. It is a bit literary, so may be slightly inaccessible to the casual reader.

Carole is a heartfelt story of two brothers in search of family history. And history has a way of repeating itself...

The graphic novel includes both the family's story, photographs and memories, as well as historical facts about the struggles and culture of Armenian, Greek and Jewish people in Turkey. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and effective at getting across the tension of protests and nostalgic moments.

While I wish the ending was a bit more satisfying, it was a great little book to immerse myself into.

||✨Disclaimer✨||
I've received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First published in France in 2023; published in translation by Europe Comics on August 30, 2023

For reasons he never explains, Clément’s life fell apart at the age of 27. His therapist suggested he learn more about his grandparents’ experience in Turkey. They were children during the Armenian genocide and fled after nationalists became violent in the mid-1950s. Perhaps Clement is suffering from intergenerational trauma. Perhaps his crisis is one of identity. He doesn’t feel like an Armenian. He doesn’t feel like a Turk. France is the country of his birth but he doesn’t seem to feel French.

Before his grandparents moved from Istanbul to France, they had a child named Carole who died in infancy. Clément’s grandmother later tried to locate Carole’s grave but discovered that the grave is missing. In need of a vacation and perhaps for its therapeutic value, Clément and his brother Robin decide to find Carole’s grave. Robin also wants to make the trip to further his study of history.

The brothers arrive in Istanbul during the Gezi Park protests. They search a cemetery, and then several more, taking pictures of headstones that are represented as drawings in the graphic novel. They can’t find Carole in any death registry. They visit and photograph places that were important to their grandparents: the church where they married; a court where their grandfather played basketball; an apartment building where their grandmother lived; their grandfather’s school and the place where he had his shop.

The brothers discover that Turkey is divided between nationalists who support Erdoğan and those who want the country to accommodate Kurds and Islam. Clément plans to create a graphic novel about their journey. To that end, he draws the scenery: beautiful old buildings, lovely landscapes, but also the aftermath of riots and buildings covered with graffiti. The brothers are also a bit divided, both in their willingness to try local foods (Clément finally relents and enjoys his brother’s culinary suggestions) and in their dedication to solving the mystery of Carole’s missing grave.

When the trip seems incapable of solving the mystery of the missing grave, the brothers wonder whether the trip was worthwhile. Perhaps the journey was more important than the destination. Traveling to Istanbul gives them a reason to think more carefully about their grandparents’ stories and their own ancestral identities. They don’t understand why their grandfather has nothing but fond memories about a country that slaughtered his ancestors, forced him to forget his language, and made him change his name so he would fit in with Turks. Their fascination with their grandfather’s story shortchanges their grandmother’s history. Their mother, on the other hand, seems wary of disturbing her parents with new discoveries about their past.

The story is mildly frustrating in that the facts that the brothers learn, both before and during their trip, don’t quite match the details of their grandfather’s explanation for leaving Turkey. Those discrepancies cry out for an explanation but none is forthcoming. I suppose the story is autobiographical and the author can’t explain what he doesn’t know.

Otherwise, the story is informative. Using narratives, headlines, and drawings of old photographs, the book provides a history lesson of Turkish nationalism and its impact on Armenians and Greeks. At times, the story seems like it is told by a relative who is showing slides of a family vacation (although these days, I suppose slides have been replaced by digital photos or videos that are displayed on the family’s widescreen TV). The travelogue might be more meaningful to the person telling it than to the audience.

The art and coloring are effective but familiar. Had Carole followed a mystery to a solution, it would have been a more gripping story. On the other hand, it is packed with important information about a part of the world that is probably a mystery to most Americans. For that reason, Carole is worth an inquisitive reader’s time.

RECOMMENDED

This is good story of two brothers who travel back to Turkey (during civil uprisings), trying to find some family history of their grandparents....who actually had to flee that country when they were very young many years ago. It can be a bit confusing with all the genealogy/nationalities/history referenced.....& then when the grandparent's stories aren't really lining up ...... it's kind of a mystery too.... One of the brothers is the author/artist of this story/memoir put together in graphic novel form, & geared to adults. I liked his artwork & use of colors, different colors used to indicate present time with family, then another color to represent the remembered past, & yet other colors for the travel portion of the book. It's an interesting way to tell a bit of his family's genealogy. I liked it & I'd guess that those interested/involved in a genealogy quest...might find something to relate to in it.
I received a complimentary e-ARC from publisher Europe Comics via NetGalley for review purposes. These are my own opinions.

A beautiful, bittersweet story about family, memory, history - human connection.

The art is lovely, the story is moving, the flow is good. But it's the human element that really shines through.

I know this review is short, but when a piece of art is wonderful, it's so hard to find the right words to describe your emotions experiencing it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story:
Clément and his brother travel to Istanbul with the goal to find the missing grave of their aunt Carole. Clément also interviews his grandparents about this and their leave to France a few years after Carole died, but he also knows that they leave things unsaid. On their journey, the brothers learn more about their history, and how history still shows this day. When their search for the grave doesn't work out, and they need to go back to France, Clément realizes that this trip was more than finding a grave.


The characters:
In this story, you follow Clément and his brother Robin. They try to find the missing grave of their aunt Carole, who died as an infant. Through the story you also see some other characters, like some of their other family members. Cléments therapist, and people they meet on their journey. To know that these characters are real people, makes it more intense to read about them. You're really diving into their story, and while reading you follow the same journey as they have done in real life. Since the characters that appear in this book are (based on) real people, since it's a memoir. I won't go deeper into them, like I do with my other reviews. I don't feel like it's right for me to talk more about their appearance in this story, which is also a memoir, since you can't change how someone is anyways.


My opinion:
Carole is a beautifully written, and watercolored, graphic novel. The autobiography, this author writes, is good to follow, and as a reader you also learn some more things. About their family, but also about their history in general. I flew through this book, and I loved reading every page. I even stopped reading sometimes, to look better at the beautiful drawings, and all the details that were in them.

Sometimes I did have a hard time keeping track of the past and present time, because somehow my brain skipped over the part that past times were in black and white (so that's a very personal thing, hahahaha). Anyways, I also lost track of time sometimes in this book, as in when everything took place and how long the story actually took. I didn't follow along with the time skips, so I sometimes had to keep back a little, to read it again at the right time. I also missed who was who in the beginning, I probably wasn't paying enough attention to that, but once I read more clearly, I could follow it easily (I blame my zoning out adhd brain for this). I also found the letter type hard to read sometimes, especially with the letter "v". The last one, is also the only thing I actually would have loved to see differently.

It can be hard to follow along with the journey, since you don't know all the information. As doesn't the main character/the author. Sometimes, you would love to see some more explanation about certain events, but they aren't given, which can be frustrating. I believe that that mystery also makes the story real. It isn't perfect, the story isn't, the characters aren't, the ending isn't. It makes it alive and real. Even so, it's also frustrating at points while you're reading it.

Anyways, besides that, I loved this story so much, even though I don't read a lot of books in these genres. I feel like this story has brought me some more knowledge about this part of history, and I loved how this story was put together. I definitely love that I found this author, and this book, and I was honored to read it as a digital arc.


Conclusion:
This graphic novel is a super interesting read for anyone who loves to read (more) about history, and/or is interested in this side of history. It's an autobiographical story, so you follow a real family on their journey, discovering more things about their past. The story has a good pacing, and a very nice writing style. The graphics are beautifully made, and make the story come alive as well. Really a book I recommend reading, since it's super informative.


Let's finish with one of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Do you ever feel overwhelmed without understanding why?"

- Clément C. Fabre (Matt Madden, wrote this English translation), Carole: what we leave behind.


{I received this book as a digital review copy, wherefore I thank Netgalley, and the English publishing house (Europe comics) from this book, but this doesn't influence my opinion on the story}

Carole is a sweet and thoughtful memoir about two brothers' quest to find the grave of their mother's older sister, who died as an infant. As they search, they discover their family's history, contemplate identity, and try to understand the complexities of the lives their maternal grandparents had as Armenians living in Istanbul. This is a lovely book about family and heritage, and I recommend it highly.

This wasn't a great story. It was a bit draggy and not all that interesting for me. The therapist was horrible. I hated him, and that coloured my experience of the entire story. I've never hunted for a lost grave, but it seemed like while they did try, it seemed like they barely made an effort to find it. I feel like if the story had approached it from a different angle, then it would have been better.

I loved this book. So much emotion captured in each picture. The subtext conveyed that is unsaid. There are lessons on the unreliability of family stories. There are the misconceptions due to not paying attention to the family stories. There is the personal baggage that clouds experiences and shifts stories. There is the importance of ritual in life. The richness of the story will stay with me for a long time.