49 Days

Agnes Lee's debut graphic novel, "49 Days," offers a deeply moving exploration of life after death, grief, and the process of moving on, rooted in Buddhist tradition. It follows Kit, a Korean American girl, on her 49-day spiritual journey after dying, while simultaneously depicting the experiences of her grieving family and friends. The narrative beautifully intertwines past, present, and future, using expressive illustrations to convey complex emotions with minimal text. This book is ideal for middle and high school readers, providing a sensitive and contemplative look at mortality, regret, and the enduring power of love and family bonds.

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