In Buddhist tradition, a person is in a transition state called bardo for 49 days after death. This graphic novel opens on “Day 1.” Korean American Kit wakes in a lonely landscape of rocks and water with a map, a distant destination marked by an X. The 49 days following Kit’s accidental death unfold in scenes that chronicle her bardo experience as a literal journey, one that is frustration- and grief-filled before she finds acceptance, and then peace. On Day 5, something in Kit’s efforts sparks a happy childhood memory—a scene in which pale gold replaces the gray hues. Additional memories appear over the subsequent days of Kit’s struggle to traverse the landscape. On some days, scenes in which the accent color changes to a soft coppery-brown follow her surviving family members (mother, sister, little brother, and cat) and close friend, Kevin. These, too, are punctuated by memories. Details of Kit’s childhood, young adulthood, spirited personality, and relationships emerge. For both Kit and those left behind, memories and time are both part of the journey from pain toward peace. It takes some work to contextualize Kit’s bardo state and the weaving of present and memory—always clarified by the accent color. But the effort is worth it in this original story that takes readers on their own journey that is sad, tender, and ultimately hopeful. A brief author’s note makes clear this is an artistic interpretation of bardo, not a model of what is “true or false.”

Best of the Year: BookPage - NYPL - Chicago Public Library - Kirkus - CCBC

Day 1

Gotta get up. Gotta keep moving. This map – it says I have to cross over here. Wait, what’s that…?

And so begins a graphic novel story unlike any other: 49 Days. In Buddhist tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can fully cross over. Here in this book, readers travel with one Korean American girl, Kit, on her journey, while also spending time with her family and friends left behind.

Agnes Lee has captivated readers across the world for years with her illustrations for the New York Times Metropolitan Diary. Her debut graphic novel is an unforgettable story of death, grief, love, and how we keep moving forward.


P R A I S E

★ “49 Days is an unusual, profoundly moving graphic novel whose elegance belies its complexity and whose emotional impact only grows upon rereading.”
—BookPage (starred)

★ “A gorgeous, resonating, even mystical creation with little text, overflowing with unsaid feelings... Gently, nudgingly, Lee brilliantly intertwines the past, present, and future.”
—Booklist (starred)

★ “A moving portrayal of mortality and its aftermath.”
—Kirkus (starred)

“Middle and high school readers will relate to the universal experiences of love, loss, and family tradition.”
—School Library Journal

“Expressive, fluid…an exemplar of what it means to trust the audience.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A deeply moving exploration of life after death, making peace with regret and life’s inevitabilities, and learning how to move on.”
—Publishers Weekly