by Kristen B.

I heard an NPR conversation about a graphic memoir, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton, then a friend mentioned they had enjoyed the same book. So, I put it on the calendar for my book group, Books on Tap, to read this fall. We read a wide variety of authors and genres, but not much nonfiction or graphic format. It seemed like a good way to stretch our reading wings. Graphic memoirs make a lot of sense to me because the images do much of the work, allowing the action to move forward without bogging down in description. This was a great example of the genre and how narrative and illustration can work together, even though it got a very mixed reaction from the book group folks.

A native of Nova Scotia with interests in history and art, Kate decides to go work in the oil sands of Alberta to pay off her college loans. The book recounts her experiences in an isolated, industrial environment where the male to female ratio is around 50:1. The constant, unthinking sexism informs the majority of the story, enlivened by a dry wit and rare moments of joy – such as seeing the Northern Lights. She also deals honestly with what seems like the inevitable sexual assault and its aftermath.

At one point, a flock of migrating ducks becomes mired in one of the toxic tailing ponds. International outcry ensues over the fate of the doomed birds, leaving one to wonder about the environmental cost of the industry. Even more, it underscored the human toll that raises no sort of similar outcry. The giant corporations being much more interested in their bottom line than in the welfare of their employees. The black and white illustrations reinforce the bleakness of Kate’s situation, from the physical spaces to the emotional ones. She captures both the huge scale of the machinery and the small scale of being human in such a vast, uncaring space.

Beaton also manages to convey a desperation for human connection, from the workers absent from far away family. Tentative friendships and other relationships cannot fully flourish, but people naturally seek them anyway. When the toll becomes too great for a co-worker, the lip service given to Employee Assistance Programs and other help mechanisms gives way before a toxic corporate culture. The money keeps bringing new people in, and the two years sees Kate go from an overwhelmed novice to someone wise enough to get out when she can. The scenes with her mom are among my favorites. Maybe I had something in my eye when I got to the airport hug at the end – I needed a tissue one way or the other.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is available in print, which allows you to really study the graphics.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).