by Emil Wilson
First published 2026
Seventeen-year-old Lou Wilson watches her father Donald bring home his coworker Jim, along with two Pomeranians named Henny and Penny. Donald tells his family that Jim needs a place to stay, but he conceals the truth: Jim is dying of AIDS. Set in small-town Oregon during spring 1985, months before Rock Hudson's diagnosis brings the crisis into public view, Jim's arrival splits the Wilson household. Lou's mother Annemarie grows fearful and angry, leading to bitter arguments with her husband. But Lou finds herself drawn to Jim and his dogs, forming an unexpected bond that sustains him through his illness. Their friendship becomes the catalyst Lou needs to discover her authentic self and find courage to face the wider world. This graphic novel captures an imperfect family confronting circumstances beyond their experience, showing how curiosity and compassion can transform fear into understanding.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, graphic-novels, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: compassionate, emotional, intimate, poignant, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, unlikely-friendship
Setting: Oregon, Small-town Oregon
Period: Spring 1985, 1985
416 pages · Hardcover · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness