Breadcrumbs: Coming of Age in Post-Soviet Poland

by Kasia Babis

A moving graphic memoir in the vein of Almost All American Girl and Persepolis, Breadcrumbs is a coming-of-age story set in Poland as the country transitions from communism to capitalism.

In the late 1980s, Poland faces debilitating food shortages, worker discontent, and astronomical inflation. Seemingly overnight, the country transitions from communism to capitalism. During this period of flux, Kasia Babis is born.

In the shadow of national change, Kasia experiences her own journey of growth, from rebellious teen to politically minded activist. She grapples with her country’s deep-rooted Catholicism and forges her own beliefs, leading to her becoming an active part of Poland’s left-wing Razem party. Each new experience is a reminder that broader societal upheavals reverberate on a deeply personal level.

With a deft balance of the intimate and geopolitical, Kasia Babis chronicles her fight to uphold her progressive values while her country heads in the opposite direction. Breadcrumbs is a coming-of-age story—not only of Kasia but of Poland as a modern state.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Memoir, Comics, Coming Of Age, History, Poland

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

Katarzyna Monika (Kasia) Babis (born 20 December 1992 in Lublin) is a Polish author of comic books, cartoonist, illustrator, painter, author of children's books and political activist. She has used the pseudonyms Kiciputek and Kittypat.

Reviews

[Elisa Pappagallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a graphic memoir !! The characters were not as fleshed out as in Persepolis, but a quick , informative read about post soviet Poland with beautiful illustrations nonetheless

[Gosia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The structure of Breadcrumbs feels incohesive and that’s why it’s difficult for me to connect both with characters and the events.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of graphic memoirs, but I had trouble connecting with Breadcrumbs. The author Kasia Babis gives background information interspersed with the events of the people throughout her life. However, I kept confusing the people--maybe due to the black and white sketching, relying on other characteristics to tell them apart? Or maybe it was the time order and pacing that was confusing? I did learn a lot about Poland and topics affecting the people and country historically and today. I appreciate her attempt and think there's a good audience for this book, but it may be better suited to someone who has a little background in the topic already. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic memoir suffers from a lack of cohesive structure. There are too many time jumps, not a lot of time spent on character development, and the transition between the author’s story and political aspects were very jarring.

[Lorry Chwazik · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this graphic memoir, Babis ties her coming-of-age to political events that happened in Poland from 2005-2023. Interesting look into the amazing changes that happened to that country since the fall of communism and their effects on the population.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breadcrumbs is a memoir about Kasia's life growing up in Poland in the 1990s as the country grappled with the transition from communism to capitalism. There was a bit of information about the history of Poland in the beginning to give context for all of the social and political turmoil as a result, which I found interesting to learn about. The book follows Kasia and her friends as they grow up, the ways in which their friends and families reacted to all of these changes, and discusses the social issues that were most important to them. Babis talks a lot about women's issues, politics, and the influence of the Catholic Church in Poland.

Overall I really enjoyed this memoir. It talks about a lot of issues that I am personally interested in and I found the discussion to be incredibly relevant in the current political climate. I do wish that Babis had gone just a little bit deeper into these issues and explored them just a bit more, particularly how they impacted her and her friends. I thought the art style was really nice with a limited color palette of black, white, and red. I enjoyed learning more about Poland, its history, and the political issues that are being dealt with there. This would be a great book for anyone who enjoyed Persepolis or who has any interest at all in politics.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations were stunning and the creative choice of keeping things black and white, with the exception of red, made the storytelling aspect even stronger. I think it has to be considered that this book is not just one, straightforward story. It’s more like a collection of connected experiences that shape the story and convey the way growing up in Poland looked like, as well as how those experiences affected the authors life.

Growing up in Poland and then moving away left a certain hole in my life. It is quite difficult to explain it to someone who hasn’t gone through it themselves. It is such a specific experience, full of very mixed and complicated feelings. Breadcrumbs captured the very essence of this. From the not so normal ideals and worshipping taught by our parents, to the camaraderie that was the result of surviving all of it and healing with the help of our friends.

I have never seen this part of my life be put on paper before, but now that it was, I cannot be thankful enough for how heard and seen it makes me feel. Thank you, Kasia.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof. Talk about a timely read. What happened in Poland is a lot of what is happening here - women's bodily autonomy being stripped away, women dying because doctors are afraid to treat them, etc. The country's leadership basically being celebrities with dictatorship fantasies.

I mostly enjoyed this but at times, it was confusing. While the larger story was interesting, the characters (presumably real-life friends of the author) were sometimes hard to differentiate by their illustrations.

I also wasn't fully certain what the author was trying to say about the males in her life - there are displays of men's anger (her father's, her boyfriend's), and there is the male friend who was "cancelled" for allegedly treating his ex-girlfriend poorly. But it's unclear to me what Babis is trying to say about all of it or exactly what she felt - like when the aforementioned male friend mentions how he would like to take revenge on the ex-girlfriend by poisoning her dog. Babis is shocked by the anger he shows but that's it?

I do really like the color palette used here - I think the red and black are very effective for this kind of story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when I'm happy I picked up and read a certain book. This was one of those books. I am not usually a graphic novel reader (on occasion), but this one felt personal and raw, and I'm thankful to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC. The messages and stories laced together in this graphic novel and the art with splashes of red to highlight a moment or emotion were beautiful, and I'm so glad this author put her story into words. I think it was a bit choppy in structure, but necessary to give a background history on why Poland had such groups / decisions / laws in place. I'm forever moved by what I've learned about post-soviet Poland, and think this is an excellent "quick education" for anyone wanting to learn more on the subject (with the personal pieces sewn between).

I had a lot of favorite quotes throughout, especially one with regard to men's anger (and how it always seems to take her by surprise), and generational trauma and how we hope future generations can do better. Here is one more:
p.20: "I still can't get over how much we normalized the practice of forcing children to share their most intimate secrets with a stranger in the confession booth."

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC. This soon to be published graphic-book is a coming-of-age memoir that takes place in post-communist Poland. The author, Kasia Babis, takes on a journey from just after the fall of communism to present day Poland. My biggest concern was that it was so episodic in nature, it felt jarring at times as she moved time-frames, and maybe more so because it is in graphic form, where as a straight-forward narrative may have been able to more contextualize and smooth those transitions. I appreciated the illustrative style, especially with the black and white with splashes of red for emphasis, although at times it was hard to distinguish and keep track of the various characters. While I have lived through this era as an adult, it was interesting to get a glimpse beyond just the sound-bights that have made national news that explores life and politics in post-communism Poland. It is a cautionary tale, too as what they went through is eerily similar to what our country is currently experiencing from state and national leaders. It is a quick read, as I read it on an hour-and-a-half flight today.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little jumbled and confusing to follow at time, but I learned a lot about post Soviet Poland and it was interesting to see what it was like to grow up in Poland for someone around my age. The tyrannical government, the intense cultural power of the church, and their combined forces to control women’s bodies…a sadly familiar story. Lots of heartbreaking but interesting scenes about sexual education (or lack thereof), abortion, miscarriage and feminism. My favorite bits were the historical parts and the parts where the women tried to empathize with their mothers and reckon with the generational trauma. It really showed me how little I knew about modern Polish history and it was nice to get an insider’s perspective. I don’t think this book really provides many answers or satisfying conclusions, but that’s life. The themes of male anger weren’t as fleshed out as I wanted and they just sort of linger there uncomfortably. That being said, the writing was good, I liked the art, and I’d definitely check out more by this author.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babis's story, set against the historical background of post-Soviet Poland, feels alarmingly familiar to the political climate we find ourselves in today, which feels like the exigence for this short graphic memoir. Throughout the story, Babis recounts her life and the people surrounding her as they navigate a culture that runs against their beliefs and morals, which in her thesis Babis claims is the result of men's anger.

Prior to reading this, I was unfamiliar with Poland and its cultural/social movements in the 80s and 90s. I'm sure this text will remain center in my mind over the next few years. I didn't, however, enjoy the art style as much as other graphic novels. I found some of the characters too similar in facial structure and the structure of the main narrative visually wasn't super compelling. I did love the illustrations and layout for the pages that explained the historical backdrop more.

[Relena_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book with an incredibly timely message about advocating for social progress while keeping yourself safe.

Like all memoirs of real people, the ending feels incomplete, but Babis is trying hard to ring meaning out of her narrative.

Babis finds solidarity in the tight-knit group of women who have been supporting her since HS, even while all of them have lived through dramatic changes and patriarchal violence, even from men they considered allies in the fight to move Poland forward.

Babis includes enough explanations of Polish politics that a reader unfamiliar with the history can follow along with the larger context of her friend group's journey.

The scene at the end with one of Babis' oldest friends, carefully coded to be recognizable despite lots of changes, makes this an especially poignant read for June 🫶. I wish both of them many years of happiness.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

[Bonnie_Rae]

Unfortunately incohesive and hard to follow with the numerous time-jumps/flashbacks, tangents on politics and Polish youth/meme/drinking culture, and it was hard to keep track of who was who when the characters looked very similar to each other. The hardcore religious conservatism was interesting and familiar in a grotesque way. The mom keeping the aborted zygot of one of her children (look up Lauren Handy - truly a messed up, deranged woman) in the fridge was weird but it happens here in America. The Catholic school brutality reminds me of stories I've heard from my dad and others.

I found myself jumping around the story and couldn't quite grasp what the author was going for. I think there are flashes of brilliance and impactful chapters - like the housing crisis in Poland ripping housing away from people to feed the bottomless pit that is capitalistic vultures' wallets and stomachs - but on the whole this needed more work and better pacing.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kasia was born when Poland shifted from communism to capitalism. Growing up in those times was interesting, for while there was great opportunities for some, mostly it seemed there just hardship for everyone else. As a teenager she was rebellious, pushing back against the deep-rooted Catholicism of the country and the schools, but as she grows into an adult, she becomes an active part of the left-wing Razem party. But along the way, she sees that not every issue is black-and-white, and she has to make choices where to stand.

An interesting memoir graphic novel about growing up in newly capitalist and heavily Catholic Poland. It doesn’t feel like there is a single storyline tying the whole thing together, but more just vignettes of different defining incidents in the author’s life. I wish it was more cohesive, but still really interesting.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic memoir of Kasia and her friends coming of age during Poland during the emergence of capitalism and democratic struggles. The issues of young women relating to Catholicism, abortion, and sexuality. The art was in a simple but sharp cartoon style the author uses in her editorial cartoon works. The only problem is that I had trouble with some characters, like the high school classmate who was AMAB but later transitions into a woman, but I thought was a female the whole time. I also had to work to distinguish some characters as their older selves. The use of black, white, gray , and red spot coloring highlights and contrasts was visually arresting. I don't think the theme was closely drawn, so it felt more slice of life around a theme then a continuous storyline.

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this graphic memoir feels as if the author is recounting her story while we are hanging out. The time jumps and "getting ahead" feel so natural and familiar. (Speaking of familiar, so much of this feels, unfortunately, very timely.) I loved the grayscale + red artwork. The art was lovely despite the often unlovely content of the story and I think the story was captured well by limiting color. While I knew a lot about Poland during WWII, I was lacking in knowledge of Poland during this time period and Kasia's story really paints the picture of it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Meggie Ramm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kasia writes about her life growing up in devout post Soviet Poland.  

I’m always in for a graphic memoir, and this was a region I hadn’t read about yet. The art in this feels closer to animation than illustration, which gave the characters more motion and feeling. I wish that had been applied to the character arcs themselves, because we only get a slight taste of their lives as they relate to what is happening to Kasia. This book felt like a snack on the way to something bigger, and I wish that it was longer so we had more time to delve into the other characters and their experiences. Good for if you like Banned Book Club. 

[Leah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breadcrumbs may be about growing up in Poland after the fall of the USSR, but it is very relevant to current America. I loved the history, the story, and I liked Babis. She was interesting and I liked listening to her take on Polish history. Even though the art style faltered in showing different characters, I enjoyed the different points of view of the three women.

Breadcrumbs is a good book to add to your collection if graphic memoirs or graphic nonfiction. Highly recommend reading for the content.

[Hayley Chwazik-Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to find this graphic memoir since it takes place in Poland outside of the WWII years! (It always seems like those are few and far in between.) In Breadcrumbs, author Kasia Babis revisits the formative years of her youth growing up in a post-Soviet country that is reconfiguring its identity to become more religious, conservative, and nationalist. I learned more about Poland’s modern history but also thought the storytelling was a bit disjointed and confusing. I also had a hard time telling the characters apart which was surprising for such a visual book.

[Michaela Squier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really interested in the subject matter, but overall I found this graphic novel a bit confusing. I would have liked if it dug a little deeper into some dynamics and I found it hard to differentiate the character. I think if the illustrations have been in color or there was labeling it would have been easier to discern. Overall, I felt like we just grazed the surface, but the topic felt very relevant to our political moment.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Kasia Babis is a child Poland is changing; issues of leadership and vision seem to fall hard on her generation, even though they have never been involved in politics. Poland is changing rapidly: politics and religion are forcing a younger generation to examine what the future will hold for them. A haunting look at what happens when a 'vacuum of moral authority' fills a society forced to change quickly.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm often intrigued by a graphic novel, especially one on topics that I don't know anything about- youth in post-Soviet Russia? OK, I'm in!

Unfortunately, I come out of the book feeling like I didn't really learn anything. This is a bunch of vignettes about the author and her friends, but never felt to me like there was any depth to it.

Many of the characters were drawn to look alike, so I don't feel like I had a connection with any of them.

[Merenwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this isn't up for an Eisner, I'll be surprised. I did have a little trouble recognizing who was who when the characters/people aged, but that's more of a "me problem" so I didn't want to dock a star for that. More importantly, I learned more about the political climate of Poland than I've ever learned from watching the news.

[Grace Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic memoir, even if it was a bit disjointed. I would have loved to learn more about the author's and her friends' journeys to adulthood, but I trust Babis included the most crucial elements. It was a bit difficult to follow the characters as they aged, but there are sketches at the back of the book to reference.

[vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well drawn, however the actual narrative felt vaguely incoherent, and I thus had trouble relating with the characters. The story was not depicted chronologically and parts of the chapters felt unrelated to the wider narrative. The book did, however, offer a very informative summary of life in post-Soviet Poland.

[Anna O’Connell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and 23rd St publishing for letting me read this early. I really enjoyed it as a Polish-American and found it very interesting. With that, I would agree that the timeline is hard to follow at times and know what is happening in the story. Dzięki Kasia for sharing your story!

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Netgalley provided me with an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This turned out to be an extremely standard coming of age tale with unremarkable illustrations. While I appreciated the background into Polish politics, it was nothing exceptional.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this story. As an American we don't get a lot of perspectives from other countries unless we actively seek them out. This story shows a little-known story in America of post communist Poland and the effect on young women.

[Gosia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read of “what could have been” if I stayed in Poland. Some of the earlier parts were a reflection of my childhood and the later introduced me of what happend after I left. Not my usual interest matter but bc of the personal connection and interesting read