Mothballs

by Sole Otero, Andrea Rosenberg (Translator)

In this moving family saga, a teenage woman uncovers the hushed history of sexual violence that shattered her grandmother’s life.

San Martín, Argentina, 2001. Upon her estranged grandmother Vilma’s death, 19-year-old Rocío moves into a house haunted by memories. Seeking a deeper understanding, Ro delves into her family history and uncovers the episodes of violence and betrayal that shattered Vilma’s dreams. All the while, the familiar scent of mothballs permeating the estate serves to remind Ro of the ineluctable spell of the past that she must break in order to forge her own path in life. Tender, heartrending, and leavened with biting humor, Mothballs is at once a moving family saga and a poignant reflection on the need to hold fast to one’s identity, despite how painful it can be. A showcase of tour de force cartooning that marks Sole Otero as a major talent in the global comics scene. Full-color illustrations throughout

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Bande Dessinée, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Historical Fiction, LGBT

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2020

About the author

Historietista, ilustradora y diseñadora argentina.

Reviews

[Juan Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Naftalina’ es uno de los mejores libros que se han publicado este año en España. El cómic de esta autora argentina cuenta la historia de una joven aficionada a la fotografía que, durante una de las crisis económicas del país, se muda a la casa de su abuela que acaba de fallecer y con quien no tenía demasiada buena relación, por ser la anciana una mujer de trato difícil. Conforme la chica redescubre y conecta con la casa empieza a desentrañar (y a comprender) la historia de su propios antecesores, y entonces se abre un segundo eje argumental que nos cuenta la epopeya familiar desde que, justo antes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, sus bisabuelos tuvieran que emigrar de Italia a Argentina huyendo de la persecución política y empezando de cero al otro lado del mundo.

Sole Otero encuentra en esta familia temas universales: las heridas que no cicatrizan, incluso entre seres queridos; la abnegación y el sacrificio que siempre se ha exigido a las mujeres en pos del bienestar de los hombres de la familia; la pérdida, el duelo, el remordimiento, el rencor; los secretos que se enconan hasta modificar caracteres y formas de vida; la comprensión que, si no justifica, al menos sí hace comprender los motivos ajenos.

La autora tiene el mérito de hacer perfectamente comprensible las relaciones familiares y los cambios temporales. La casa es un escenario en el que espacio y tiempo tienen las barreras desdibujadas y en el que los recuerdos se entremezclan con el presente, como pasa en la vida real, hasta hacerse consistentes y físicos. La angustia de la bisabuela, la frustración de la abuela, la huida del padre y la incertidumbre de la hija se entremezclan magistralmente formando un todo, y el lector se convierte en un personaje más de los que se entrecruzan, a lo largo del siglo XX, entre las cuatro paredes que acogen la historia (y la prehistoria) de la protagonista.

Esta obra se queda contigo después de haberla terminado, como el rastro del olor un ser querido, como el puente que se tiende para tratar de comprender la actitud incomprensible de alguien que te importa, como el recuerdo de los grandes títulos de la historia de la novela gráfica entre los que ‘Naftalina’ ya se encuentra.

Te gustará si te gusta: Persépolis; ‘La casa’ de Paco Roca; Tomates verdes fritos; ‘Juste la fin du monde’ de Xavier Dolan; ‘Pueblo blanco’ de Serrat; ‘Middlesex’ de Eugenides.

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel begins with a couple escaping Mussolini’s fascist Italy, for Buenos Aires, Argentina. The male was a communist – a political persuasion not to the liking of Il Duce. We then follow the family for three generations in Buenos Aires. Following the woman’s death in 2001, her granddaughter attends the funeral and moves into the home left to her by her grandmother. This story draws parallels in the lives of grandmother and granddaughter.

We learn about familial stories involving sexual violence, homosexuality, misogyny and betrayals of trust. This is grim reading, and the art reflects this. There is a dark foreboding displayed in the artwork here – minimal colours used, characters have large bodies and small heads, there are menacing shadows, fleas and no joy. I felt it suffocating.

There is certainly generational grief going on – keeping in mind the grandparents moved to Argentina during a violent time in history, and in 2001 Argentina was experiencing one of its economic slumps. Life is hard.

The only issues I had with this work was the writing was sometimes difficult to read, even magnified, the cursive was tricky to decipher. I also found the transition between timelines confusing at times.

But overall, this was a worthwhile read that sustained my attention throughout. I will give this 3.5 stars, rounded up for the artwork and characters.

4 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in return for my review.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot (if enjoying is the right word). It's a moving family story, told through lovely art - I especially liked the larger drawings with characters moving from space to space.

I'm still not sure what the little smiley bouncy mothballs were all about.

(Picked up a review copy through NetGalley)

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don’t really know what it means to be a good person, but if somebody asked for examples, I’d never include you on the list."

In life, we are always so quick to judge, be it a stranger, a friend, or even a family member. We only see what's on the outside but never really see what is going on inside. This book made me look deeply at myself and how I judge others.

Wow! This book broke my heart and made me open my eyes. The storytelling was wonderful and really digs deep into your soul. Not many books make me see how I treat others but this one sure did. It touched me and all I wanted to do was call my Mom-Mom. Sadly, I couldn't but I hope she knows that I was thinking about her.

I could not put this one down due to the flow of the words and the gorgeous illustrations. Paired together made this a perfect and beautiful story.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boredom prevails in this domestic drama as a granddaughter moves into the home of her recently deceased grandmother, Vilma, in 2001 and then reflects on Vilma's life as the child of Italian refugees who migrate to Argentina during the rise of Mussolini in 1923. Denied her dreams because of sexism and gender expectations, Vilma becomes bitter -- "dramatic and always complaining" -- and turns on her family members one at a time, driving them away over the decades with her anger and constant criticism.

Hurt people hurt people. Got it. I have no interest in following such a negative spiral, especially since the whiff of redemption is far too little, far too late.

Also, all the flashbacks are rendered with really ugly and difficult to read cursive lettering. It really detracts from the reading experience, and I can only think it will drive away younger readers who were never taught or rarely use cursive.


(Best of 2024 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one or more of these lists:
• Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2024
• Publishers Weekly 2024 Graphic Novel Critics Poll
• NPR's Books We Love 2024: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made the PW list.)

[Sarah Boude · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way this made me want to call my own grandmother to tell her I love her.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

a reflective graphic novel about family history and learning to be better than your ancestors. 18 year old ro feels doomed to live a bitterly unhappy and self-absorbed life, like her estranged and recently-passed grandmother, vilma. i love the complexity of vilma's story, how we come to understand the trauma that created her bitterness, and see that she was helpless to outgrow it even as it evolved into emotional abuse.

the intergenerational pain and grief run deep, and the political strife in argentina in the early 2000s makes for a tense backdrop to ro's slow and solitary exploration of her family's stories.

the colorful art is beautiful, though i did struggle with the small cursive writing. the pages are made to be pored over slowly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for providing me with a portion of this book in return for an honest review. My review is belated because the full book was not provided, so I had to wait to hunt down a copy at a library.

[Eli Megibben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGallery and Fantagraphics for this ARC!

First 2/3 of the book were available to me through this ARC and I can't wait to read the full book upon publication! A story for every grandchild who has been compared (for better or worse) to their same-sex grandparent, Otero tugs at the tightly-wound fibers of what "family" is and how it functions beyond just shared genetics, and demonstrates the ways in which, decades after the fact, we inherit our ancestor's burdens and sometimes still feel the reverberations of their pain.

The art is beautiful and dialogic, and Otero hits at a universal tension in Ro's identity as she prepares for her future by navigating coming into her own as an adult while simultaneously grappling with the past via traits and tribulations she inherits from her late grandmother. I am very much looking forward to seeing what Otero does next!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're going to put arcs out there why put partials? Apparently only the first two thirds of this book is available if you received an arc from NetGalley. It ends super abruptly and I was confused for a moment until I realized that I was only a page 200 something and the publication page said 300 something pages. I don't logically understand why you would not give your advanced readers the full book. This does not make me want to go back and finish it. This is frustrating.

The worst part is is that this book is really captivating and the artwork is interesting and I do kind of want to finish the book but I'm mad that it wasn't included. I've literally never had that happen before with an advanced copy and it's so weird to me.

Anyway I'm counting it as a book anyway because I needed this to finish out 2023.

[Dustyloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.55*
English translation in the works! Mothballs is about Ro, her very complicated grandma, grief, and generational curses. Apparently an autofiction (or at least inspired by family history): Ro's grandma was the kind of person to see only the dark storm clouds and not the silver lining, but she genuinely suffered from the constraints of patriarchy, obligation, familial piety... And Ro seems to be on the fast track to following in her embittered footsteps.

The backdrop of upheaval in Argentina in 2001 was an interesting parallel to the conditions that led her Ro's family to emigrate from Italy to Argentina during the rise of fascism.

This graphic novel is in line with my recent theme of liking things I didn't expect to like. The art style didn't appeal to me at all and (although i didn't know it before starting to read it) Ro and grandma are rather unlikeable! I'm not even sure why I ended up checking it out, but it did win a special prize at Angoulême so i thought what the hey.
Honestly not quite a 5* read for me because of the ending, but we need more comics/graphic novels like this!!

[Aradeea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encantó como retratan al personaje de la abuela. Creo que en ocasiones pecamos de infantilizar a la gente mayor, sin realmente tratarlos como personas enteras con una vida que pesa a sus espaldas.

La abuela de Ro es un personaje que se nos dibuja arisco y desagradable, del que descubrimos una historia vital compleja y despojada de oportunidades. Leyendo este cómic me reafirmo en lo importante que fue el divorcio para muchas mujeres, y de que me alegro de haber podido tener oportunidades y de poder estar eligiendo mi propio camino.

En el apartado gráfico es una absoluta fantasía ❤️ Jugando con paletas muy delimitadas y un estilo que se nos hace cercano y contemporáneo.

[Fernando Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

El dibujo y, sobre todo el color, chulisimos. La historia, eso sí, mil veces vista, cien mil veces leída; y (comentario de señor mayor, ojo) con un rotulado de legibilidad discutible. Igual me tenía que haber puesto las gafas del serca, qué sé yo.

[Femke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 ⭐️

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first, I realised that the copy I had was cut and it ended abruptly, but obviously, I had gotten a gist and was pretty invested in the whole family unravelling.

The whole shared traits between one generation and other generations are something that usually is an offensive call out between family topics, which can also be seen here. Other than that, the prejudices and making judgements of of someone just speaks so loud here.

The artwork is definitely beautiful as well, that complement the mood of the story. I think my issue is the legibility of the dialogues, which were difficult to read most of the time.

I honestly want to read the whole thing, so I'll get my own copy soon.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming of age graphic novel that explores family trauma and the legacy it leaves on it. It also bravely explores, forgiveness, sexual identity, jealousy, and forging your own path. Set in Argentina in the early 2000's, Mothballs follows nineteen year old Rocio as she moves into her estranged grandmother's house following her death. She has been feeling suffocated by her family's insistence she do well on her upcoming exams and just needs space. While wallowing around she starts to understand her family and her complicated history. Interesting and heartbreaking.

[Sara Flubacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC. My review is 100% my own.

Set to release in August of 2024, Mothballs is a beautiful graphic novel set in Argentina following Rocío, a teenage woman who after the funeral of her grandmother, moves into her grandmother’s house which was left to her and uncovers the story of her grandmother’s past. Believing her grandmother was unliked, she realizes the truth of the past and how it can affect one’s life and poses the question of “is it possible to stop repeating the mistakes of the past”?

This books has hands down the most incredible visual story telling I have ever seen. More is being said/shown than what we get to read as written text. It’s is incredibly moving and poetic.
We see themes of persecution, religious trauma, generational trauma, and sexual violence.
The sexual violence plays a big role in this story and is depicted in a very poetic, however, graphic way.
The text is in handwritten cursive which is beautiful, but I found it somewhat hard to read at times.

Although the story of this family was emotionally moving and beautifully told, I found the ending abrupt. I believe this was done on purpose by the author, to leave it as an open-ended question, but I’m a sucker for endings with no loose ends. Some questions go unanswered which is hard for me to sit with.

I want a physical copy of this book for the artwork alone!

[Laurelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une BD qui brosse le portrait de Vilma, une femme déçue par la vie, ce qui l'a rendue amère et... peu commode disons. Sa petite-fille, qui passe quelques jours dans la maison de cette grand-mère défunte, va interroger ses propres choix et envies, tout en racontant l'existence de Vilma.

C'était doux-amer (même plus amer que doux) et difficile de se faire une opinion arrêtée sur Vilma, à la fois personnage relativement détestable, mais dont les circonstances de la vie l'on menée à être de la sorte... Le récit d'une histoire de famille compliquée en somme, entre société patriarcale, viol, déceptions, homosexualité, immigration et sentiment d'abandon.

J'ai beaucoup aimé le style graphique de la BD, et j'ai été assez touchée par cette histoire. À découvrir !

[Audree R · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai eu un immense coup de cœur pour cette autrice!

D’abord sur le fond, j’ai adoré cette histoire de famille comme on trouve par milliers, remplie de non-dits et de drames cachés. Le personnage de la grand-mère m’a fascinée, j’ai trouvé le tout super riche psychologiquement. J’ai aimé le contraste entre le passé et le présent avec sa petite fille qui se cherche et qui réalise plein de choses.

Sur la forme, j’ai trouvé les illustrations un peu audacieuses! J’ai aimé les silhouettes carrées/rondes, la corpulence, les joues et les yeux des personnages. L’apparence un peu enfantine au premier coup d’œil m’a semblé rafraîchissante. L’écriture cursive m’a demandé un petit temps d’ajustement, mais c’était doux et délicat au bout du compte. Les ratures ici et là dans le texte ajoutaient un petit quelque chose.

Et que dire de la belle surprise de lire une BD qui se passe à Buenos Aires, la ville que j’aime le plus au monde. Je connaissais peu le parcours des migrants italiens dans cette ville, c’était intéressant.

[Thibaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

L’histoire racontée dans Naphtaline est poignante et ses personnages entiers nous révèlent la noirceur de la violence quand elle est cyclique et transgénérationnelle. La place donnée à l’histoire familiale laisse forcément moins de temps pour approfondir le cheminement du personnage principal que j’ai trouvé expéditif.
J’aurais apprécié en apprendre plus sur le contexte historique de l’Argentine qui reste vraiment toile de fond de ce drame familial.
À lire, rien que pour la troublante humanité de ses personnages.

[Riska (lovunakim) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much netgalley and Fantagraphics Books for the arc!

The book is so captivated with the colorful image and illustration. The story tells us about family, guilf, fears and the search for a way that prevents repeating the mistakes of the past. The memories and histories of the family shrouded in tragedy. This book so exciting and reflecting on family and identity.

[Sílvia Catalán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una novela gráfica intensa, un drama familiar en la argentina de principios de siglo XX, immigración, desarraigo, narcisismo, dudas existenciales... Y un gato.

[Andrea Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got into the story I could not put this down.

It's the kind of book that will get you to regret every argument you've ever had.

[prisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly, utterly heartbreaking story with a captivating art style. That is all I can say about this book.

Mothballs follows a few days in the life of a young teenage girl Rocio who recalls the story of her grandmother Vilma's life after her funeral.
Trigger warnings= Sexual assault, mentions of alcohol abuse.

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for providing me with my first arc in exchange for an honest review! I am really sorry if I could not provide a review which was informative enough or was lacking something, I really loved this graphic novel and am very willing to improve in the future!

[Elo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/10

bon mais ce livre va me rendre nouille. j'ai failli pleurer plusieurs fois en me rendant compte combien on garde de l'histoire familiale, de rancœurs, de brouilles et de tristesse générationelle. ça me parle beaucoup, ça me touche beaucoup.
ce n'est pas un full full coup de cœur parce que je trouve le style assez simple, il n'y a pas eu de grands frissons, juste de petites chairs de poule.
leçon : si tu sens devenir amer et rancunier arrête de penser autant à toi

[Ani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mothballs is revolutionary in its artistic exploration of the family saga and the ways in which generational trauma and choices impact future ones.

Otero's art style is absolutely stunning, and the way in which her designs change, both big and small, to tell a story—especially its most haunting and heart-wrenching beats—is a feat. Otero's voice and art is welcomed warmly to the canon of generational family sagas and seeks to answer in Mothballs a life-long question: how do the choices of those who came before us impact our existence?

Thank you to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the partial ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Marjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goede graphic novel, duurde even om er in te komen dus ik zou hem nog eens moeten herlezen om ook het begin van het verhaal helemaal mee te hebben. Mooi verbeeld, zeker hoe een van de grootouders steeds eenzamer wordt.

[Periko · Rating 5 out of 5]

la única pega es que ha sido muy incómodo leerlo tumbado pero es tan tan tan tan tan maravilloso que merece la pena la incomodidad

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.

The story is interesting, but occasionally the plot was all over the place. I also didn’t quite get some of the main character’s behaviour / attitude.

I liked the art style. It’s rather simple, but still nice to look at.

The font, while pretty, is a terrible choice. It’s often not easy to decipher, not only because of the cursive writing, but also because of the size. I think it should have been changed to something more easy to read.

Overall a decent book with a couple of weaknesses.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[Paola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about family and how a gruesome sexual experience can change your whole life. This graphic novel is a quick read despite the heavy topics -- aside from the sexual abuse, there is also talk about fleeing your country, alcoholism, abuse based on sexual preferences and many more.

On one hand, I loved the artwork. It's fun and quirky, the colors really pull you in with their brightness. On the other hand, I wasn't a huge fan of the font since the letters are a bit hard to read at times. Furthermore, the main character didn't have enough personal growth for me to like her. She remained flat, childishly angry at those around her. I loved the slight paranormal aspect and how the story seamlessly goes from one point in time to another. It quickly makes you want to reach out to your own grandmother(s) and hold onto them a bit longer and a bit tighter.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize this ARC contains only about two thirds of the whole book. Upon finishing, I was confused and felt like the story was unfinished in all aspects. I wanted to know more, I wanted to understand what even are these mothballs and how they work. I can see the potential but find myself unable to rate this any higher without closure (and considering all the things I didn't like). So, take my negative thoughts with a grain of salt since, to my disappointment, I haven't actually read the whole book!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Fantagraphics and the author for sending me an ARC of this book!

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mothballs is the chronicle of one family in Buenos Aires, Argentina tracing their roots back to Italy during the Second World War. Focusing primarily on a young woman named Rocio in the present day, we follow her own self-journey to connect with her roots after she's inherited her grandmother Vilma's house. Heavily tying herself in the nostalgia prompted by the smell of mothballs in Vilma's house, Ro's understanding of Vilma's life serves as the crux of the narrative. We learn that Vilma was a reclusive figure following a traumatic incident, which in turn leads Ro to contextualize different events in her own life. Formatted as an epic generational family drama, Mothballs does boast some hefty dramatic turns that are elegantly executed though it has to be said that Sole Otero is a most leisurely narrator. She takes her time getting to the meat of the events, which for a 300+ page graphic novel can make for an arduous read at times. The core story is pretty interesting and developed well, but it's also hard to shake the bursts of tedium in the narrative as well. Normally this would be a minor gripe for me if the story has a good payoff, though in this case I really felt the gradual pace a little too grinding for my own tastes.

Otero's artwork is immediately grabbing with her excellent use of expressionistic and abstract forms. The characters of Mothballs have awkward anatomies but this stylistic choice worked really well for me. Adding in the flat color schemes, I really relished the artwork the entire way through. Perhaps best enjoyed as a slow and more deliberate read, Mothballs is a quality graphic novel depicting a grandiose generational drama.