Sisters

Raina Telgemeier has become a successful writer of graphic novels, and her work is cherished by many pre-teens and adolescents alike. After discovering comic strips in the newspaper, she began drawing and writing comics around age 10. Raina’s first graphic novel, Smile, was an autobiographical story about her experiences with getting braces and navigating the complexities of adolescence. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Raina admits that she never planned to write a sequel but found that fans were interested in Amara’s character and wanted to learn more about her (Dueben, Alex. Reina Telgemeier Shares the Secrets of “Sisters”, 2014). She decided to write about the road trip because it was an eventful series of days and because it was a period of Raina’s adolescence where Amara’s traits (her stubbornness, her insistence on doing the opposite of what Raina does) were particularly evident. Raina explains how the tension in her family life strongly influenced her relationship with her sister growing up, and this was something she wanted to make evident in the graphic novel. Raina also comments on the unique position of writing about her own life from the perspective of herself as a teenager, but also with the wisdom and hindsight that she has in adulthood. Telgemeier has written several graphic novels but Smile and Sisters are her most reflective. Because these titles were autobiographical, they forced Raina to look at parts of herself that were at times difficult or uncomfortable. Telgemeier wanted to make sure that she depicted herself accurately and fairly and didn’t want to be ashamed of her flaws. Instead, she wanted to present a relatable character that is constantly adjusting and dealing with conflict, both internally.