Book Summary and Reviews of Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson

Reader Reviews

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Darlene_Goetzman

Honoring Complexity with Compassion
I chose to read Ginseng Roots because I am fascinated by graphic memoirs. I have only read a few, so I continue to be curious about how they work differently than traditional memoir. Ginseng Roots was a masterful weaving of childhood experiences, different cultural lenses, coping with disease and disability, and relationships with parents and siblings- all this and the history, botany, and industry of ginseng. I was amazed how well Thompson accomplished this. And the entire story is told with deep compassion, a whisper of self-deprecation and genuine curiosity. It was an easy enjoyable read with laughs and tears.

Patty_K

The search for meaning and home through Ginseng roots
You cannot tell that author Craig Thompson suffers from hand degeneration in his gorgeously and intricately illustrated graphic memoir about growing up on a ginseng farm in Wisconsin. I have scant knowledge about ginseng and only a little more about Wisconsin, mostly owing to its status as Blue Wall state. After reading (and viewing) this 435-page memoir, I feel closer to both.

Thompson doesn't just show the grueling nature of Ginseng farming, he also takes readers on a fascinating journey into the herb's very roots in China, the US, Korea, and Taiwan, both through the new people he encounters along the way and reuniting with his parents, long-time farmers, and sometimes via an impish female Ginseng Avatar. I appreciated Thompson's Zen-like empathy for his parents with whom he disagrees on various fronts, for his brother, whom he travels to Asia with, and for all those behind getting this fussy plant to folks who benefit from its medicinal properties.

If you've never read a memoir in cartoon form (although calling it a cartoon feels like it falsely reduces Thompson's compelling narrative into a children's genre), you might get hooked on this memoir alternative. I know I did.

Maria P. (Hillsboro, VA)

Beautiful and moving graphic memoir
I had a hard time writing this review because I don't know how to talk about such a beautiful book. I can't do justice with words to Thompson's art, so I'll just go with how moved I was by the combination of narration and illustration. Memory and history circle and meld seamlessly, through childhood, family, travel, and the devastating history of the Hmong people. Thompson looks at human foibles (including his own) with honesty and sympathy, inspiring in me feelings of tenderness and rage and humor and more.

The history, culture and cultivation of ginseng are slipped into the story line with relevance, so the information never feels dry or pedantic. It doesn't hurt that the ginseng are ridiculously cute!

I look forward to reading more of Thompson's work, especially Blankets which I've already ordered.

Claire M. (Wrentham, MA)

Ginseng Roots: A memoir
Ginseng Roots is a tour de force graphic memoir. Craig Thompson tells many overlapping stories in this volume, formerly published as a12-issue comic book series. In revealing his personal search for meaning and purpose he explores his roots, which are contained within the story of ginseng farming in America.

He details the travails of midwestern small farm life through the story of his own family farming history from migrant workers to farm owners with farm neighbors, the religious life of his family, his relationship with his parents and siblings, and his struggle to build a life separate from the farm. Part of that story is told in his previous work, Blankets published in 2003. Over 20 years later the sweeping story is brought forward to 2023.

The artwork is highly detailed and deeply personal. The shared moments with his brother and sister, his interviews with the ginseng farmers of Wisconsin and their counterparts in South Korea and China, are all revelatory in their own way. When he shares the health crisis that impacted his life's work, I marveled at his dedication to both his art and his search for meaning.

Thompson, in this deeply personal memoir, encompasses the history of the world through the labor and sacrifice to the farming and commerce of this prized ancient root.

Marie M. (Rochester, MN)

Ginseng Roots
Having grown up in Wisconsin, I enjoyed the setting of this book and the interplay with China. I haven't yet read Blanket, but this autobiography peaked my interest to explore further. Thompson is an engaging writer and I enjoyed the growing up that he shared.

Peggy_Anselmo

The mix of art and words
This was my very first attempt to get acquainted with graphic novels. Not sure how to categorize this book besides being blown away by the skill of the artist/writer. Wondering how labor intensive it must have been to render written words with detailed artistic endeavors. I enjoyed the history that was shown between the ginseng production of China and then in Wisconsin. He sketches his family's efforts to create a business and farm that was so contingent on many factors beyond their control.

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