Roots of My Hair

A bold, funny, and deeply personal graphic novel about hair, heritage, and identity

The Roots of My Hair tells the story of Rose, a mixed-race girl from Réunion Island, struggling to love her frizzy hair in a world that tells her to tame it. As she tries straightening creams, painful salon treatments, and social camouflage, Rose also begins to question the deeper issues behind her hair—race, beauty standards, colonialism, and belonging.

Basing the graphic novel on her own childhood, Réunionaise illustrator Lou Lubie blends memoir and original research to explore how something as everyday as hair can carry centuries of meaning. With humor, honesty, and expressive illustrations, The Roots of My Hair speaks to anyone who’s ever felt pressure to fit in—and offers a powerful reminder that identity starts from the roots.

Winner of multiple French awards, now available in English for the first time.