Alison is Posy Simmonds meets Edward Bawden - and really, what higher praise could there be?' Observer Alison is newly married, barely twenty and struggling to find her place in the world. A chance encounter with an older artist upturns her life and she forsakes convention and her working-class Dorset roots for the thrumming art scene of London in the late seventies.

This book is a testament to the right to choose your own life. It is a tender, heartbreaking meditation on the bonds between women, the dazzle of the city, the struggle to become a female artist within the bounds of patriarchy, and the desire to make a mark on the world. It made me long for my friends; the dreams we have shared over the years and the ways in which they make the world feel possible. I want to give a copy to everyone I love. -- Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater and Milk Teeth Lizzy Stewart’s new graphic novel charts the adult life of Alison as she slowly learns her own value, finds her own tribe, and falls into a wholly unexpected profession as a painter. Alison is an everywoman who somehow beats the odds to escape a mundane existence, even as she continually questions her right to do so and grapples with her mixed feelings about the role her mentor/predator played in her career path. Stewart paints a richly defined portrait of this most unexpected heroine across multiple decades, revealing the highs and lows that hone an average, listless girl into an acclaimed artist with deep personal relationships.

Two years in I realized that my life was no better or worse because of it. I think every girl wants better or worse, ideally better, I suppose. But sometimes worse can be so delicious, so enlivening that we’ll take it, simply to have something to do.” Stewart doesn’t answer that question, if it’s even answerable. Instead, she tells Alison’s story - the story of so many female artists, as well as so many others on the margins. For every Alison who ends up with a successful career, there are many others who didn’t. For every Alison who could overcome the men who take advantage of her, there are many others who couldn’t. Stewart presents a nuanced story that forces the reader to ask the questions and, hopefully, to see the power structures that still exist in the art world (and elsewhere) for what they are. Alison might not be able to disentangle her life from those people in power, but Stewart’s question should help the reader begin the work of doing so.

Baby’s first graphic novel! And OMG why didn’t anyone tell me how much I was missing out, and that adding STUNNING artwork to a book doesn’t mean it’s any less of a story?! Consider me sold. A genius graphic novel (but lots of words) about a young woman from Dorset who leaves her life to be with a much older famous artist in London. It's also brilliant on relationships, creativity and friendship (and the art world) -- India Knight Subtle and deliciously complicated, this is a big book on big subjects, but lightly, elegantly done. I loved it' Tessa Hadley, author of Free Love Her compassionate depictions of women alone, women together, will undoubtedly find welcoming audiences * Shelf Awareness * Find a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/october-2022-graphic-novels-with-lizzy-stewartWith its focus on friendship and the passing of time, Alison often recalls Stewart’s graphic short story collection It’s Not What You Thought It Would Be. While its predecessor was enjoyable but uneven, here she sustains the drama, and the parade of small things – baths and bars, studios and shopfronts, spiralling arguments and moments of joy – builds into something rather special. Before you know it, half Alison’s life has rushed by, and she is the established artist feeling bemused and invigorated by the next generation – and able to dispense more balanced advice than the old men who preceded her. Subtle and deliciously complicated, this is a big book on big subjects, but lightly, elegantly done. I loved it'Tessa Hadley, author of Free Love This really had everything - if you think that cover is beautiful just wait until you open it up and see the amazing drawings etc inside. I loved the way the author added so many different styles, colours and even interspersed the art with letters at points. Lizzy's work is beautifully executed with an eye for composition, colour and fine detail * It's Nice That * Alison discovers a talent for painting at Kerr’s class and begins sitting for him. Within months, she has left her husband for Kerr and Dorset for London. Here, the great man critiques her portraits and takes her to smug parties where she feels like the “most misplaced person” in the room. But, slowly, she finds her own friends and haunts. She buys oil paints, canvas and tinned food with her meagre earnings and explores the city, “screeching with laughter on the bus after a po-faced gallery opening” with her sculptor friend Tessa, while her work grows stronger and stronger. The book’s skewering of the art establishment is often very funny, but there’s fury here too

A delicious portrait of 80s and 90s London and a more universal tale of a working-class young woman making a life in a world that has not been designed for the likes of her. For all its effortlessness [...] Alison ends up carrying a great emotional heft. It's a lovely book, and I cried at the end.' Guardian Praise for It's Not What You Thought It Would Be: 'This brilliant debut collection explores the intensity of teenage ennui and female friendship, with a deft feel for its slights and tensions -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian * A beautiful depiction of life as an artist, of the movements of love and time. I absolutely loved it. -- Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start From Every now and again a book comes along that is such a bright joy, so true, so beautiful and moving. Alison is one of those books. I loved it -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistEvery now and again a book comes along that is such a bright joy, so true, so beautiful and moving. Alison is one of those books. I loved it'Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist And I liked the way the story was told (mix of paragraphs, comics, letters, picture rows), that made it a really diverse an immersive reading experience.