by Kasia Babis
First published 2025
Kasia Babis chronicles her youth in Poland during the country's dramatic shift from communism to capitalism. Born as Poland grappled with severe food shortages, worker unrest, and soaring inflation in the late 1980s, Babis witnessed her nation's rapid transformation. This graphic memoir traces her personal evolution from rebellious teenager to committed political activist. She questions Poland's entrenched Catholic traditions while developing her own belief system. Her journey leads her to join the progressive Razem party, putting her at odds with Poland's increasingly conservative direction. Babis demonstrates how national upheavals shape individual lives in unexpected ways. The book balances personal storytelling with political context, showing how one woman's search for identity mirrors her country's struggle to define itself. Breadcrumbs captures both Babis's individual maturation and Poland's emergence as a modern nation.
Genres: 20th-century, coming-of-age, graphic-novels, biography-memoir, 21st-century, poland
Vibes: intimate, introspective, politically-charged, thought-provoking, transformative
Tropes: coming-of-age, identity-search, personal-journey, political-awakening
Setting: Poland
Period: Late 1980s, Post-Soviet Era
256 pages · Paperback · 23rd Street Books