Ginseng Roots: A Guardian Graphic Novel of the Year

Craig Thompson

AN OBSERVER GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE MONTH
A GUARDIAN BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR

'A modern classic.' GUARDIAN
'It just blew me away.' JEFF LEMIRE
'Beautiful.' ROLLING STONE
'A masterpiece.' JOE SACCO

FROM THE BESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF BLANKETS AND HABIBI

From the celebrated author of Blankets and Habibi comes a long-awaited new graphic memoir. Ginseng Roots follows Craig and his siblings, who spent the summers of their youth weeding and harvesting rows of coveted American ginseng on rural Wisconsin farms. Following an injury, Craig rediscovers this herb, central to Chinese medicine, and embarks on an extraordinary journey from his midwestern roots to north-east China.

Suffused in a vibrant earthy palette, Ginseng Roots masterfully blends memoir, travelogue and cultural history to explore and illuminate ideas of creativity, doubt, healing and family.