Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back

by Ruth Chan

Perfect for fans of New Kid and A First Time for Everything, a joyful and tearful debut middle grade graphic memoir about one girl being uprooted when she moves to Hong Kong, a place where her family fits in but, for her, it's nothing like home.

Ruth Chan loves her hometown in Toronto, hanging out with her best friends for life, and snacking on ketchup flavored potato chips, which are the best. What Ruth doesn’t love is having to move to Hong Kong after her dad gets a new job there.

Her mom is excited to reunite with her family, but it’s not the same for Ruth. In Hong Kong, her classes are harder, her Cantonese isn’t good enough, and her parents are never around. Ruth feels lonely and completely uprooted.

But as Ruth’s dad tells stories about her family, about how they relied on their strength, courage, and each other to survive the most difficult times, Ruth realizes that she too can be strong. Gradually, she puts down roots, knowing that home will always be where her heart is.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Comics, Family

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chan writes about when she is a teenager and her family moves from Canada to Hong Kong. It's a huge adjustment for her as her father is working away from the family and is gone for days. Her mother is nostalgic for all of the places she visited when she was young so spends her days with her sisters and friends visiting their old haunts and getting reacquainted.

Chan is left to her own devices to navigate speaking Cantonese, traveling on her own on public transportation, determining how to study in her new school and making friends. It's a lot. Chan does a great job of showing how she gives herself room to learn and make mistakes. She finds her voice in order to communicate with her parents about the difficulty of acclimating to such drastic changes in her teen life.

I also like the story of her father's birth during the Sino-Chinese war when Japan invaded China. There are many parallels and they are beautiful done in the illustrations.

I found the illustrations clean and easy to look at. I quite enjoyed this one.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raised in Canada, teenaged Ruth Chan feels like a fish out of water as her family moves back to their native Hong Kong. Her Cantonese is shaky, and her new school requires her to learn German. Her friends are all far away, and her father is gone for work for days at a stretch, leaving her alone with her nagging mother.

Some of her travails are pretty universal even as her situation is fairly uncommon. Chan does a good job of tying her family history into her youthful problems and the eventual outcome.

(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 NPR list.)

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! Ruth's parents immigrated to Toronto from Hong Kong, and now they have the opportunity to move back, with Ruth. Ruth will have to leave her older brother and her amazing friends, live somewhere totally different from what she's used to, where she's not confident in speaking the language, and where it seems like her parents already have big social lives that don't include her! Can she be as brave as her ancestors who left their own homes behind? While this experience of living in multiple countries as a kid is probably not something the majority of middle grade readers can imagine, it seems like Ruth Chan has a direct line to the memories and feelings of her adolescent self, making this memoir totally familiar and relatable.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade graphic memoir explores the trials and tribulations the author deals with when her parents decided to move back to Hong Kong from Toronto.

Immigrant stories (I am one) are both universal and particular. I enjoyed the gentle exploration of themes in this coming of age tale. The illustration style and colors are lovely. It's great that books like these exist for young readers.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uprooted has been the best graphic novel memoir I have read this year.

[Jordan Agmata · Rating 5 out of 5]

adding this to the list of mandatory books i force all my asian friends to read

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about it!

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today in the mail, G and I got this graphic novel, UPROOTED by @ohtruth from one of my dearest friends, @kathfitz. It’s a memoir about a girl from Toronto who moves to Hong Kong as a teen in the 90s, and how she overcomes culture shock and learns to adapt to her wildly different surroundings. It’s also about her father’s family fleeing China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The art is wonderful and so recognizable. It’s funny and moving and tender and sweet.

Like Ruth, I moved from Toronto to Hong Kong when I was a teen in the 90s. I had also never lived anywhere but Canada and left behind a group of friends who I loved. Like Ruth, my parents spoke Cantonese to me often and I would speak English back. Like Ruth, I had to overcome a lot of shyness to begin speaking Cantonese in Hong Kong again, with both my extended family and in the streets. Like Ruth, I attended an international high school in Hong Kong, and felt overwhelmed by a lot of the classes at first. Like Ruth, I hung out at Pacific Place with friends on the weekends, and listened to both Western and Cantopop stars. And like Ruth, when we first moved, my brother and I were often left to fend for ourselves, because my parents were working. Like Ruth, I also had family members who fled China during the same war, and remember it with sadness but also some pride. It is an absolutely surreal experience to read a memoir that so closely mirrors your own life experience. At this point, I count living in Hong Kong as a privilege. But at the time, I remember aching so much for my life in Canada and fantasizing about moving in with my best friends.

I don’t have anything really profound to say about this book, other than that it was deeply moving, eerily familiar, and that I felt understood and seen by it - maybe in a way that I never was at that time. I really really hope that other Third Culture Kids will read this and maybe see a little of themselves in it. Deeply grateful to have read this and to Ruth for sharing her experience - and to @mackidsbooks @stmartinspress @raincoastbooks for publishing it.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more introspection and poignancy. I could see the connection between her father’s mythical birth story and Ruth’s own dislocation but it didn’t quite mesh in my opinion. I also thought she was kind of a brat and obnoxious at times.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possible March-Book-Madness for memoir side of the bracket

[Beth Given · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth loves her friends, her school, her life in Toronto -- but her family is moving back to Hong Kong. except for Ruth, it's not "moving back;" even though she will be near aunts and uncles and cousins, she's never lived there. She can barely speak Cantonese! Ruth will be losing everything she's familiar with -- can she be happy in a new place?

I really liked how this graphic novel showed strong family ties, a rich cultural heritage, and Ruth's connection to her ancestors. I also liked both the Canadian setting and the Hong Kong one; I feel like I read so many books about immigrating to America so this felt fresh and interesting. As a kid who moved when I was about Ruth's age and at about the same time the book was set (early 1990s), I could relate to her feelings of being uprooted -- even if my move was only to another state and not another hemisphere!

[Simone Groeneveld]

This is a lovely story about a Toronto born girl that moves "back" to Hong Kong where her maternal family lives. It is an easy read with pretty artwork, written by someone that vividly remembers what being a teenager, exchanging friendship bracelets and having first crushes, was like.

The book made me think of Persepolis which is also about a girl moving to another country and back, but has a kind of depth this book lacks and is probably not meant to have.

So, a charming, lighthearted read for people interested in how upper class Hong Kong based teenagers spent their time.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t separate my love for Hong Kong from this story, but I think it’s truly a five star read. Illustrated beautifully, and she just completely nails what it feels like to grieve one place and fall in love with another.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A sensitive, authentic, and funny portrayal of a real kid grappling with change and uncertainty, and showing that persistence, courage, and patience make all the difference in finding that your place in the world really can be right where you are." [Booklist]

[Kari Yergin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little memoir in graphic form about a girl whose family uproots her moving her to China, which was their homeland from Toronto.

Excerpt from the author’s note:

It’s amazing how adaptable we are as humans. Life isn’t always smooth or in our control, and oftentimes we can’t predict what’s going to happen or how people will react. To top it all off, most things that help us grow and learn aren’t easy. But if you reach out, stay open, give yourself time, and keep going, you’ll find your people and you’ll find all sorts of unexpectedly wonderful things waiting for you.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I grew up in Singapore and not Hong Kong, I still enjoyed this book, especially with the cameos of food courts, HMV, bubble tea, and Dan Ryan. Drawing style was cute and reminded me of Peanuts.

[Aimee Ardonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute graphic memoir about teenage Ruth's journey from Canada to Hong Kong. I think any kid who has moved, whether across the street or across the world, will relate to her story.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suchhhhh a sweet graphic novel! Read this to share with my class this year. Made me emosh! ❤️🥹

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When she was a teenager, Chan's parents uprooted her: they moved from Toronto to Hong Kong, both for a job opportunity and so that Chan's mother could be closer to her family. Chan didn't want to go: she'd only been to Hong Kong once, years earlier; her spoken Cantonese was shaky; and above all she loved her life in Toronto.

I was eager to read this, because I've read so many books about people migrating from East to West, but so many fewer about people moving from West to East—and with the latter, it's almost always adults who are making the move of their own volition rather than because their parents have made the decision. Plus, I've never been to Hong Kong, and I like reading about places where I've never been.

As a story, it's engaging. As a graphic memoir, it wasn't my favourite—the art is very cartoony, and while there's nothing wrong with that it's just rarely what I gravitate towards in a graphic memoir (or novel). I also couldn't figure out how old Chan was at the time of the story; it's not stated, and while some of the things she mentions (first kiss, etc.) made me think fourteen or fifteen, other things (the way some of the bodies are drawn) made me think ten-year-old. (The author's note tells us that she was thirteen—but that's not until the end! It made sense for the story, but I wished that had been worked into the first couple of pages.)

It was, though, interesting to see how Chan dealt with a character experiencing the world in multiple languages: some parts of dialogue is written in black, others in grey, to denote whether English or Cantonese is being spoken; Cantonese that she didn't understand at the time is written directly in Cantonese. It's effective, and it was also interesting to compare it to The New Girl, which I read on the heels of Uprooted and which took a similar route but with a twist.

Unlikely to return to this one but am glad to have had a chance to read it.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graphic novel memoir from Ruth Chan who shares about her middle school years when her family moved back to Hong Kong from Toronto. Ruth had pretty much grown up in Toronto. She could understand Cantonese but was not confident speaking it, and her parents enrolled her in a German international school, even though she spoke no German (most of her classes were in English though). She had good friends in Toronto, and thought she quickly made a couple friends in Hong Kong, but after a few weeks she isn't so sure. Her older brother stayed in Canada at a boarding school to finish out his Senior year, her mother is busy reconnecting with family and friends and is super excited to be back in Hong Kong, and her father is working in China most of the time (and he's the one Ruth feels like she can talk to). So Ruth feels pretty lonely a lot of the time, and it takes her a while to let her parents know how she is struggling with all the changes. When her father does come home, he's been sharing with her the story of how he was born in the midst of his family running to safety in the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War, another time the family faced great changes.

I work at an international school, and Ruth's story is going to resonate with so many of our students. Pretty much everyone in an international community knows what it is like to return to your passport country and feel like you look like you should belong but you sure don't feel like you belong. I greatly appreciate Ruth sharing her own struggles and offering a glimmer of hope for readers who may be feeling as lonely as she did for a period of time. I also like how she wove in her dad's story. It was a fascinating look at what some families went through during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Ruth feels Chinese Canadian, her parents are both Chinese from Hong Kong. Ruth has friends that are Black, white, and Asian Canadian, Hong Kong residents, and Europeans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Deep feelings of loneliness and homesickness and disconnection from what is supposed to be a home culture.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic memoir that has it all 💖

Made me miss and feel like revisting Hong Kong – all the familiar sights, delicacies and places! Also very nostalgic with the mention of brands that are no longer around, as such as HMV and Espirit 🥹

I enjoyed how the story is interspersed with blasts from the past: the parallels, the dual timelines, the insight into wartime. All of it was so well done. The book also skilfully explores important themes such as the immigrant experience, identity, belonging, mother-daughter relationships and more.

Some of these I could really resonate with, particularly the parental expectations placed on Ruth #VeryAsian #EldestDaughterSydrome. What struck me just as much was the nuance and depth in approaching these topics and I appreciate that we got to hear the perspective of Ruth's mom as well.

Ruth's character arc was beautiful, well-paced and incredibly satisfying. I was invested in her journey throughout and rooting for her the whole time. I loved seeing her find her voice and place in the world.

One of my favourite graphic novels in a while!

[vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and sweet. I really like Chan's illustrations (I've read her picture books and recognized her drawings!). It's interesting to read the author's note detailing how this started as just her father's family story during the Second Sino-Japanese War, but then she was able to interweave her own story of moving from Toronto back to Hong Kong during her teen years. I really related to her feeling like a fish out of water, particularly with not feeling like you belong to either place due to your language efficiency. I loved most the Talk to Talk parts of the book with her father, as I think graphic novel stories like this excel best when it's more touching, emotional, and introspective. The other parts of the book felt more like showing us the cultural differences and how Chan adapted to her new school, friends, and community. I think her inner turmoil with feeling left behind, the relationship with her mother, and her friendship issues could've been more detailed and expressive.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a great story about moving from Toronto to Hong Kong, based on the author’s real life. The story is very relatable with typical experiences of language difficulties, missing old friends and making new ones, and adjusting to the new place. It is well written and is a good fit for the intended audience. Excellent illustrations enhanced overall reading experience. I especially liked how the author used different colors to differentiate between languages.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic memoir is excellent! The illustrations with perfect pastel coloring are a feast for the eyes. Ruth Chan tells the story of when she moved from Canada to Hong Kong around the age of 13. I really appreciated the culture shock, the ways she found to acclimatize, and how the move affected family dynamics. She includes snippets from her dad’s almost mythical childhood survival story. This book hits the right note in so many ways: from coming-of-age to finding friendship to fitting in and all the awkwardness and pressure and crushes that come with this stage in life. I would definitely recommend this. In fact, I just sent a copy to a friend.

[Alyssa Lentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S COOL I'M CHILL JUST WRITING THIS REVIEW THROUGH TEARS. Obviously I'm an adult, but this articulated so many of the feelings I've had about moving throughout my life. I think it would be such a gift for a kid going through this kind of transition. Excellent and realistic depiction of family and friendship tensions and dynamics. Loved.

[Christy Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a Battle of the Books coach and loved it especially because I work at an American school in Shanghai and can see a lot of my students in Ruth.

I understand what the author was going for with the comparisons of the history of her father’s family with her new life in Hong Kong but felt like that part ended very abruptly and didn’t really tie it all together making it feel a bit weird.

Overall it was very cute and I can see 5th grade me loving it.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving to a new place is such a relatable story to so many people, but it’s not often I encounter a story where someone moves to the other side of the world! Ruth’s experience reminded me of making new friends and missing old ones, but I was lucky enough not to also have a language barrier and leaving a sibling behind. Ruth’s family is right: you need courage, perseverance, and patience in life.

[Annie Whitlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coming of age story about belonging, home, and resilience. I've followed Ruth Chan on Instagram for a while, and her graphic memoir did not disappoint. Hope she does more like this in the future!

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic look at what it means to relocate to a new home when you are happy where you are. New country, new language, new extended family- it’s easy to feel lost and unimportant. MC manages by keeping her old relationships alive and by being receptive to new friends and experiences.

[Sally]

really sweet graphic memoir about a girl struggling to adapt to a new home. really captures the things you learn about yourself, your loved ones, and other cultures when you push yourself and when you travel. will definitely be recommending this one to middle graders at my library!