Squirrel Mother

by Megan Kelso
The Squirrel Mother is Megan Kelso’s second collection of graphic short stories, all of which originally appeared in various magazines and anthologies between 2000 and 2005. Kelso’s work is characterized by subject matter that fits roughly into two disparate camps: personal and semi-autobiographical stories that draw heavily on the details of her childhood and adolescence, and stories about the idea of America and American history, such as a trilogy of short pieces about Alexander Hamilton. The Squirrel Mother features 15 stories, including two stories, “Meow Face” and “Aide de Camp” done especially for this volume.