This Country : Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America

A gorgeously illustrated debut graphic memoir about belonging, identity, and making a home in the remote American West, by New Yorker cartoonist Navied Madhavian. Before Navied Mahdavian moved from San Francisco in November 2016 to an off-grid cabin rural Idaho, one of the most remote and wild areas of the American West, he had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted, or lived in a snowy place. But there, he could own land and start a family - the millennial dream. Over the course of the next three years, he leaned into the wonders of the natural landscape and found himself adjusting to and enjoying a slower pace of living. But beyond the boundaries of his six acres, he was confronted with the realities of America's political shifts and forced to confront the question: Do I belong here? Funny, deeply perceptive, and attentive to the dynamics of culture, environment, and identity in America, Mahdavian's gorgeously self-illustrated and often hilariously written graphic memoir charts his growth and struggles as an artist, citizen, and new father. It celebrates his love of place and honors the relationships he makes in rural America, even as it articulates the difficult moments of racism and brutality he found there as a Middle Eastern American. With wit and compassion, Mahdavian's insider perspective offers a unique portrait of a place many people hear or know nothing about.

“With light and airy illustrations, Mahdavian tackles these complex themes with humor and wit.”
—NPR, Books We Love 2023

NPR BEST BOOKS OF 2023 ● NEW YORKER BEST BOOKS WE’VE READ IN 2023● A gorgeously illustrated and written debut graphic memoir about belonging, identity, and making a home in the remote American West, by New Yorker cartoonist Navied Mahdavian.

Before Navied Mahdavian moved with his wife and dog in November of 2016 from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho, he had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted, or lived in a snowy place. But there, he could own land, realize his dream of being an artist, and start a family. Over the next three years, Mahdavian leaned into the wonders of the natural Idaho landscape and found himself adjusting to and enjoying a slower pace of living. But beyond the boundaries of his six acres, he was confronted with the realities of America’s political shifts and forced to confront the question: Do I belong here?

Mahdavian’s beautifully written and unflinchingly honest graphic memoir charts his growth and struggles as an artist, citizen, and new father. It celebrates his love of place and honors the relationships he makes in rural America, touching on dynamics like culture, environment, and identity in America, and even articulating difficult moments of racism and brutality he found there as a Middle Eastern American. With wit, compassion, and a sense of humor, Mahdavian’s insider perspective offers a unique portrait of one of the most remote and wild areas of the American West.