How Do I Draw These Memories?: An Illustrated Memoir

by Jonell Joshua

Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey – living in grandparents’ homes during the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times.

How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love.

From Jonell’s devastatingly brilliant pen as a writer and an artist, it plumbs the depths of what family can be – and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Biography Memoir, Graphic Novels Comics

424 pages, Hardcover

Published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[dreamgirlreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest that I did not finish this book. The cover drew me in with its’ multimedia style so I expected a really interesting memoir. But quite frankly, I was so bored by 37% that I couldn’t continue. The book begins with the author’s childhood, family background, and random memories. The reader learns some big events and some trivial events out of order, and they never seem to connect. I did quite enjoy the illustrations. I don’t want to discredit the author’s hard work of putting together their memories but I wasn’t sure what the message was. Memoirs are always hard to rate because who am I to say if someone’s life experiences are worthy of reading or not?

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cool memoir that utilizes mixed media! More memoirs should take note!!

[Reagan Formea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway! Let’s start by saying this book is gorgeous and the illustrations were such a treat. My issue was with the lack of organization and storyline. It seems like the author was going for the vibe of like sitting with friends and family and recalling childhood memories as they come to you rather than they typical narrative found in a memoir, it just unfortunately didn’t work super well for me.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting memoir in terms of structure and compilation. I was really drawn in by the cover and concept. However, it lost me quickly, just in terms of storytelling and pacing. WAY too long for what it was and the text bits felt disjointed and overwhelming at times. I found myself flipping forward and counting down pages until I would get to a new collage or comic (which I found to be the most effective parts of the book). I can see this being a useful classroom tool for teachers to explore memoirs and different storytelling mediums, but I do not see young readers picking this up and getting through it on their own.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

If you are have ever sat with someone as they shuffled through a box of old photos, pulling them out at random and telling you about them, you'll have a good idea of how this memoir is told - through flashes of disconnected memories, occassionally out of order, but somehow precious and full of family and life and love. This book is a true time capsule of what it was like to grow up in the 90's and early 00's.

What I liked:
- The unique story telling style where it's mostly told through text format, but switches to graphic novel format or the sharing of photographs.
- The huge dose of nostalgia this book gave me, filling me with memories of my own childhood and family.

What I struggled with:
- The memories shared throughout the book are disjointed fragments that don't follow a natural flow of storytelling and feel like random moments that the author is reflecting on. The end does come together somewhat, but overall the fragmented storytelling was difficult for me.


TW: Death of a parent/grandparent, death of a pet (non graphic), mental illness

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to try a new genre so I picked Jonell Joshuas book to try it out on. I was very impressed with the written and artistic mediums. It seemed to work pretty well for me. I found her life a very interesting one from going to different states to caring for a mentally ill Mom. It chronicles her life from childihood to college and her faith and struggles throughout that time in short stories. She is definately a survivor and has overcome a lot through her life. It is a tale of love and not giving up. The photos and drawings are a nice added touch to add to the story and give a more personal touch to the story.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good memoir that was sort of multi-genre-ish (some interviews, some drawings, some collages). Most of it is about Jonell growing up and moving around a lot because of her mother's mental instability. Her mom is later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as is Jonell's older brother. I love the hope that is infused throughout the book though and how Jonell is able to communicate that despite lots of moves and other hard life events, she felt love throughout her entire life. On the whole, the message of being able to always count on your family rings very true.

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

Reading How Do I Draw these Memories? Feels almost wrong, like reading your sibling's diary while they are out.

I enjoyed how although we grew up in different countries, there are similarities in our childhood. Perhaps rolly polly hearding is a universal childhood activity.

Like all life stories, there are events that may bring out different emotions.

[Zee N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be quite honest, I wasn't expecting the flow of this book to be the way it is, but it's BRILLIANT!
I skimmed through it the first time and it threw me off guard; however, the second time I was enticed to learn more about the stories that followed. The artistry was heartfelt throughout the entire piece. Keep goin Jonell Joshua!!

[Chelsea Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the format but the writing fell short. DNF

[Jennifer]

No star rating because I didn't finish the book. I'm on page 139 and I'm so bored - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how the author's memories are organized. So, I'm done.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The close family relationships that Jonell Joshua had growing up are so well-written, they emanate from the pages. It is evident that despite the adversity and challenges, her family support and the love she has for her family buoys her. I love the medium of collage for a memoir because the reader instantly feels a part of the story, and this was an engaging, fast-paced read that I looked forward to turning back to again and again.

I would recommend this for schools, and libraries, and anyone working with teens or tweens who need to feel seen in a book.