Stone Fruit is a graphic novel by Lee Lai, published May 11, 2021 by Fantagraphics.
In 2022, the book won the Lambda Literary Award for Graphic Novel/Comics, [1] was a Barbara Gittings Literature Award honor book, [2] and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novel/Comics. [3]
Stone Fruit was generally well-received, including starred reviews from Booklist [4] and Publishers Weekly . [5]
Publishers Weekly applauded how Lai "skillfully captures the ways family dynamics and histories play out in romantic relationships, and how heavy those legacies can land," which results in "a poignant and mature rumination on how people change, and change each other, proving Lai a talent well worth watching." [5] Terry Hong, writing for Booklist, called the novel a "jaw-dropping debut" with "stunning artistry," complementing by Lai's "complex narrative skills." [4] Laura Olive Sackton, writing for the Chicago Review of Books, also applauded the novel, calling it "[a] remarkable contribution to this chorus of queer storytelling," saying the narrative is filled with "smart dialogue and character growth" and that through the illustration, Lai "literally draws transformation, and the feelings it evokes, onto the page." [6]
The Guardian 's Rachel Cooke provided a mixed review, calling Stone Fruit "[a] downbeat but moving exploration of the aftermath of a relationship." [7] Cooke noted that while the book is affective, "you finish it with no hope at all that its characters will ever be able to resolve their difficulties. There is something intensely bleak at its centre." [7]
| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | American Library Association's Best Graphic Novels for Adults | Top 10 | [8] |
| National Book Foundation's "5 Under 35" Award | Honoree | [9] | |
| 2022 | Barbara Gittings Literature Award | Honor | [2] |
| Lambda Literary Award for Graphic Novel/Comics | Winner | [1] | |
| Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novel/Comics | Finalist | [10] | |
| American Library Association's Over the Rainbow Book List | Top 10 | [11] | |
| Stella Prize | Shortlist | [12] |
Joe Sacco is a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is best known for his comics journalism, in particular in the books Palestine (1996) and Footnotes in Gaza (2009), on Israeli–Palestinian relations; and Safe Area Goražde (2000) and The Fixer (2003) on the Bosnian War. In 2020, Sacco released Paying the Land, published by Henry Holt and Company.
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Lee Lai is a transgender, Asian-Australian cartoonist who presently lives in Canada. In 2021, the National Book Foundation named her an honoree of their 5 Under 35 award for her debut graphic novel, Stone Fruit. The following year, Stone Fruit was a finalist for the Barbara Gittings Literature Award, Lambda Literary Award for Graphic Novel/Comics, and Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novel/Comics, among other awards.