Along with the US Book Show, Penn State University Press unveiled its Fall / Winter 2021 Catalog, which features new general interest and scholarly books in the fields of musical history, literature, history of art, religious studies, rhetoric and communication, medieval and modern studies, current events and more. And for good measure, graphic novels too.

The catalog includes the next titles of Graphic Mundi, the imprint of graphic novel of the Press, including “The Odyssey of Hakim, volume 1: From Syria to Turkey”, the first in a series of graphic novels by Fabien Toulmé relating the struggles of a young Syrian refugee .

Hakim’s Odyssey Volume 1: From Syria to Turkey by Fabien Toulmé and Hannah Chute

What does it mean to be a “refugee”? It is easy for those who live in relative freedom to ignore or even despise those who have been forced to flee their homes. After all, it can be difficult to relate to other people’s experiences when you haven’t been in them. In Hakim’s Odyssey, we see firsthand how war can make anyone a refugee. Hakim, a successful young Syrian who had his entire life ahead of him, tells his story: how the war forced him to leave everything behind, including his family, friends, home and business. After the Syrian uprising of 2011, Hakim was arrested and tortured, his town was bombed, his business was seized by the military, and members of his family were arrested or disappeared. This first leg of his odyssey follows Hakim as he travels from Syria to Lebanon, from Lebanon to Jordan and from Jordan to Turkey, where he struggles for a living and dreams of someday returning home. This graphic novel is essential reading in our time. Alternately hopeful and heartbreaking, Hakim’s Odyssey is a story about what it means to be human in a world that sometimes isn’t. “A beautiful book. Hakim’s Odyssey is deeply personal and superbly documented. I loved reading it.” – Benjamin Worku-Dix, author of Vanni: A Family’s Struggle Through the Sri Lankan Conflict. to come 272 pages 6 “× 9.5” 2021, to come in September

BrainComix iIllustrated by Monsieur B

Admittedly, he is ugly, but what talent! The human brain is the most complex structure in the universe. It’s as impressive as it is intimidating, when you’re not an expert. So how do you know the brain? By asking him to introduce himself, of course! In BrainComix, the brain is the star of the series, hammering it in a TV interview conducted by intrepid journalist Julia Mojito. Without jargon and with a lot of humor, we come to understand how this spongy and bloody organ acts like our guardian angel, filters our perceptions and shapes the stories we tell about the world and about ourselves. Test your brain with BrainComix! “Entertaining and forensic, this deep dive into anthropomorphized gray matter leaves no brain convolvions unexplored. The brain as an organ, the brain as a self, the brain in all its glory.” – Bob Fingerman, author of Dotty’s Inferno and Minimum Wage coming soon 168 pages 7 “× 10” 2021, coming in September

A Chance by Cristina Durán, Miguel Ángel Giner Bou, and translated by Katherine Rucker.

A Chance is the gripping and heartwarming story of one family’s struggles and triumphs. The story follows Cristina Durán and Miguel Ángel Giner Bou as they rebuild and reinvent themselves after the birth of their daughter Laia with cerebral palsy. Hospitals, rehabilitation centers and doctors are now part of their daily routine. There is a one in a thousand chance that Laia will make it and they cling to that chance with tremendous strength and indomitable joy. Years later, with the same courage and determination, Cristina and Miguel embark on the difficult process of adopting their second daughter, Selam, from Ethiopia. This time around, they face a long period of training, psychological testing, interviews and paperwork before they can even pack their bags. And when they return with Selam, the challenge of reinvention awaits them again.

312 pages 9.5 “× 6.75” 2021, coming October

Iranian love stories, screenplay by Jane Deuxard, illustration by Deloupy

Gila, 26, was at a party when the police arrived. The men managed to get away with bribes, but the women were taken to the train station, and anyone who had been drinking was required to undergo a virginity test. She never went to another party after that. Zeinab is 20 years old and she loves being a woman in Iran. She says she feels like a queen! And despite all the risks, she admits that she makes love with her boyfriend because the danger turns her on. Vahid is 26 years old. He was a leader of the Green Movement. Then he saw his friend Neda die right in front of him. Now he keeps his head down, trying to finish his studies. In a series of vignettes based on secret interviews, this award-winning graphic novel explores the political and romantic lives of ten young Iranian men and women from diverse backgrounds. The result is an honest portrayal of today’s Iranian youth and a rare glimpse of a society where the sexes are strictly separated and Western journalists are not welcome. Through testimonials from across the country, we learn about traditional marriages, the pressures of life under the regime, and how young people escape the police and challenge tradition to live out their love stories.

144 pages 8 “× 10” 2021, coming in October