Cookie, why do you cry? You're the lucky one. You were born after the war. In life you can't be so sensitive or you won't survive.

I don’t usually read a ton of memoirs or graphic novels, so I was initially nervous to give this a try. However, I needn’t have worried — Marisabina Russo’s “Why is Everybody Yelling?” is, at its emotional core, a wonderfully drawn portrait of being an immigrant, growing pains, and familial love. 

The novel begins with Marisabina “Cookie” in 1950s Queens learning that, even though she has been raised as a Catholic by her mother, her family members are Jewish Holocaust survivors. The intergenerational trauma that comes with this discovery, coupled with her complex family dynamics (whose distinct personalities cause them to frequently clash) places Cookie in the middle of a tug-of-war with her family — and herself. As she navigates school, friendships, and religion on her path to self-discovery, Cookie simultaneously has to grapple with the additional challenge that is growing up as the “lucky one” in her family as a first-generation American. 

There’s so much to praise here: the beautifully rendered depiction of Jewish culture (I particularly loved learning Hebrew and Yiddish words like noshing (snacking) and l’chaim (to life), the unexpected humor and warmth that surfaces in even the book’s more somber moments, and the pop culture references to the Kennedys and The Beatles. The author imbues every page with a level of earnestness that translates across every single illustration and scene that plays out — and even moments that first appear innocuous quickly become emotionally riveting. There’s one argument between Cookie’s family that comes to a screeching halt when they realize that she has been listening the whole time, much to their shared horror and disbelief. 

With “Why is Everybody Yelling?” author Marasabina Russo strikes a rare balance: equal parts humor and warmth, youthful angst and frustration. And in this bildungsroman of her childhood and teenage years, Russo not only tells a story that bursts with heart, but one that captures the messiness that is belonging to an immigrant family with startling honesty and grace. 

This is a story that will transcend your expectations and stick with you for long after you’ve finished the final page. 

* All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.