How Do I Draw These Memories?

"How Do I Draw These Memories?" is a poignant graphic memoir by Jonell Joshua, chronicling her childhood experiences moving between Savannah and New Jersey, often living with her grandparents while her mother struggled with mental illness. Through her "devastatingly brilliant pen," Joshua explores the complexities of family bonds, the unwavering support of grandparents, and the resilience required to navigate challenging times. The book is praised for its uplifting tone, celebrating unconditional love, faith, and the discovery of joy in both ordinary and extraordinary moments, making it a valuable read for young adults processing similar family dynamics or seeking stories of hope.

Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey – living in grandparents’ homes during the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times. How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love. From Jonell’s devastatingly brilliant pen as a writer and an artist, it plumbs the depths of what family can be – and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments. P R A I S E “Ingenious… a vulnerable, revealing homage to family.” —Booklist “Despite the difficulties confronting Jonell’s family, this memoir is uplifting and amazingly positive, in some ways celebrating the ordinariness of life as well as the power of unconditional love (which I hope) most experience. Readers are likely to recognize something of their own lives in this memoir.” —Reading Rockets