As we fall deeper into the rich and deep color palette of autumn, the time has come to pull out our finely-tailored suits and delve into passionate and mysterious books. After kicking the season off with Paul B. Rainey’s Why Don’t You Love Me? our current top pick for our Graphic Novel Book Club is undoubtedly Eisner finalist Rina Ayuyang’s latest graphic novel, The Man in the McIntosh Suit, which we will be discussing as we gather on October 24th at La Petite Librairie D+Q at 7pm. Published by Drawn & Quarterly, the book is a grappling Filipino-American take on Depression-era noir featuring mistaken identities, speakeasies, and lost love. Our host Francine, a Librairie D+Q bookselling alum-turned-editorial assistant, describes it as an expressive tribute to a forgotten generation and the movies that they, their children, and grandchildren escaped into.

Highlighting the masterful way in which the illustrator has enmeshed a fresh and contemporary perspective with a century-old backdrop and yearnful soundtrack, the Toronto Star comments "It might seem tough to come up with a new way to tell noir fiction stories, but Rina Ayunyang’s done it, and beautifully." Political, chilling, and enticing, Kirkus has expressed "Ayuyang spins a captivating tale that is both an homage to starry-eyed Hollywood movies of the period and a corrective that highlights the anti-Asian racism faced by immigrants as well as the thriving communities they formed."

Recently highlighted by Daniel Clowes in his latest interview with Library Journal, The Man in the McIntosh Suit can be purchased at both of our stores or online, and is topped with a succulent signed bookplate.

For more information on our Graphic Novel Book Club please click here

For more information on the book please click here

See you then with a cozy drink in hand!