I’ve been a fan of Ms Henley’s work for many years, so I had an idea of what to expect. A book subtitled “A Family Love Story,” also prepared me not to expect psychological dissections in the vein of Dostoevsky. Upon reading your review, I pondered how she might have better delved beneath the surface, by say, connecting the dots between the adoption and 19th Century Russian agrarian reform. No, too elitist. Or she could have indulged in self-loathing revelations about tawdry one-night stands and substance abuse (if they were applicable). No, there are more than enough of those in in the graphic novel cannon. The book is charming, honest, and unpretentious. As to objections to her sparse style, it’s like saying that Chris Ware’s style is too formal and complicated. He has his style and Ms Henley has hers, and the world is a better place because of both. Cheers.