I found Imposter’s Daughter to be an entertaining graphic novel that gives the reader an intimate peak into the growth and development of  narrator and author Laurie Sandall. The novel provides a glimpse into the inner world of Laurie’s turbulent relationship with her father, love life (and her failures with men), drug and alcohol addictions, reconciling family life, and eventually spiritual realizations.

As a coming of age novel, I found it interesting that Laurie starts the book with her childhood, completely and blind-sightedly idolizing her father, and ends the novel far into her adulthood. The reader watches Laurie grow from an unconditionally loving child, into a child who starts to question, into an adult who starts to rebel and eventually falls into a rut of depression, addictions and unhealthy relationships. Laurie ends the novel after walking the reader through her spiritual realizations. Only in rehab does Laurie start to reflect on her unhealthy lifestyle and start to connect to something “greater than my father and greater than me” (218). Her family life never fully changes, but she resets her goals and accepts. Coming of age in various cultures are sometimes marked by ceremonies (like Quinceañera), marriage, or even legal rights, but in this novel Laurie suggests that her coming of age was actually a higher realization and acceptance. Laurie’s so-called awakening was one of my favorite scenes from the novel because the narration and images really helped create a serene tone. After rehab, Laurie’s face literally changes. Her features soften and her cheeks have more color in them. The scenes after rehab are quieter. Looking back at the narration boxes, pre-rehab much of the narration focused around the time of day and literally what Laurie was doing, but after rehab most of the narration focuses on what is happening in Laurie’s mind (more reflective). That shift from busy/logistical to reflective really pulls the reader in as Laurie concludes her memoire.

What I most appreciated about the story, was my ability to empathize with the narrator. For me, the first fourth of the novel was really loud. There was so much yelling. I was really interested (and of course had to read the novel for class) so I didn’t put the book down, but I was so frustrated with scenes of her father’s irrational yelling, intense facial expressions and tense situations. After sitting with so much intensity at the beginning of the book, it made it easy for me to understand Laurie’s wild phase in “A Discovery”. The images of Laurie’s innocent childhood expressions helped me empathize with her unconditional love for her father, while also understanding her growing frustration as she aged. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Laurie was both in love and frustrated with her father at the same time because the author created such an honest representation of both emotions. I could really relate.

Short versions seem to be formed around monumental discoveries, particular emotions or events. We, as readers, read her memoir through her own memory. The short versions all seem natural, like she is just informally retelling her story, as she might in an interview or a shrink.  

As a female narrator, I wondered what it was like for the author to draw herself. She does not delve too much into her own body issues. Laurie mostly explores her unhealthy relationships with men. But, what was it like for her to draw images of herself? What was it like for Laurie to draw nude images of herself expressing her sexuality? It is an interesting consistency to note that Laurie’s whole memoire revolves around her “finding herself” as a woman yet how she feels stuck, unable to understand herself until she uncovers her father’s truth. Despite that this is her personal memoire, as a woman she must understand the most influential man in her life before stepping into her own. She is second. Instead of self-titling the story, Laurie chooses to name her memoire “Imposter’s Daughter”, reinforcing the idea that she is a daughter before she is just Laurie. 

-- Shaina Patel