We get to know Axelle (a rebellious little girl who dreads Grade 1 and is captivated by the spooky forest near the house), her brothers (who share her off-the-charts enthusiasm for cartoons and toys), and their long-suffering parents (who may or may not be aliens). Secret Passages, narrated by the adult author, begins with the death of her (male) “cosmic twin.” From there it launches into a rollicking ride of childhood antics, set in 1985 small-town Québec. Now, cartoonist Axelle Lenoir, in her unpredictable and imaginative way, makes this metaphor real. Many LGBTQ adults look back on their youth and wonder: what might have been? Growing up “in the closet” tends to produce a sort of double identity, between the inner self and the self seen by the outside world. A wildly inventive cartoonist begins her imaginary memoir - exploring the girlhood she never had. Welcome to an autobiography from another dimension.
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