Who Owns the Clouds?

A Globe & Mail Best Book of 2023

PRAISE FOR Who Owns the Clouds?:

"A fictional adult protagonist looks back on a period in her childhood spent fleeing a war-torn country in this speculative, ambient graphic novel, which thoughtfully unravels themes of grief, healing, and memory." Publishers Weekly

"The stark, absorbing illustrations evoke a mid-20th-century European setting and capture the introspective narrative with grace. Rendered largely in sepia tones aptly reminiscent of old photos, this graphic novel measures the weight of memories. . . . A heartfelt and vivid portrait of war trauma." Kirkus Reviews

"[A] trauma narrative, a complex coming-of-age story, and testimony to the lasting human cost of armed conflict and forced displacement. . . . A book for junior and adult readers, Who Owns the Clouds? gives voice to the unspeakable. And, when the clouds part, a view to hope." Montreal Review of Books

"Those who survive relocation from war-torn regions are, as the narrator of Who Owns the Clouds? puts it, 'different from other people.' . . . [T]he degree of that difference is etched with matchless precision and grace." Shelf Awareness

"[A] story of trauma, hope, and resilience. . . . Who Owns the Clouds? will help readers of any age better understand the effects living through war and being forced to leave can have throughout someone s life." CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Haunting. . . . Who Owns the Clouds? is a deeply empathic story depicting the innocent people whose lives are affected by the bitterness of war. Its thought-provoking messages could generate discussions for children on the realities of those displaced by conflict." Young Adulting

"Mario Brassard s short yet incredibly powerful portrait of war trauma subtly translates its horrors and the profound, long-lasting effect on people, especially when experienced in youth." Global Literature In Libraries Initiative