On a Sunbeam

Reviewing a graphic novel by Tillie Walden

2022-05-23 - David Redl

For somebody who really enjoyed reading comics as a kid, I have read dreadfully few graphic novels as an adult. Often, I just don’t have an idea of which ones I want to pick up. Fortunately, the local book club Queereads YYC exists and, from time to time, they sprinkle graphic novels into their reading list. One of their books discussed in November 2021, was On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden.

On a Sunbeam immediately grabbed my attention both with its breath-taking art style and its simple, yet intriguing, premise. The author, Tillie Walden, tells the story of Mia and Grace’s relationship through two different time periods in their lives: their time at a boarding school together and Mia’s time on a restoration crew exploring space and wondering about Grace. The two time periods are cleverly interwoven to provide a slow-burn romance combined with a mysterious adventure.

The settings, from a beautifully imagined sci-fi boarding school, to a space ship made to look like a giant fish, to a mysterious land with a fox-like spirit creature guide, are all well crafted and serve the story as much as they just look great. The queer elements of the story, from the lesbian romance, to a significant non-binary character, were incredibly written. An impassioned speech delivered near the end about the significance of preferred pronouns, and how simple it is to respect them, was simply inspiring.

This book had everything I look for in a graphic novel and so much more. I’ve already recommended it to close friends and family and will continue to recommend it to fans of graphic novels, romance, or adventure. The best part is, while you can buy a physical copy of the book as I did, the author continues to maintain the entire story online for you to read for free. Check it out today!

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