Calling Dr. Laura

Calling Dr. Laura is a graphic memoir that chronicles author Nicole Georges' journey to uncover family secrets about her father. Georges grew up believing her father was dead, but a palm reading in her twenties suggests otherwise. The narrative moves between Georges' childhood in the 1980s and her adult life in Portland, Oregon, where she creates zines and works as an artist. Along the way, she calls in to Dr. Laura Schlessinger's radio show for advice about confronting her mother regarding long-held family mysteries. Georges illustrates her story through distinctive black and white drawings that capture both everyday moments and emotional revelations. The artwork shifts between styles - more polished for present-day scenes and looser, sketchbook-style renderings for childhood memories. The memoir explores universal themes of identity, truth-telling within families, and the challenge of reconstructing the past through conflicting narratives. Georges' search for answers raises questions about how family stories shape who we become.

Readers appreciate Georges' raw honesty and emotional depth in exploring family secrets and identity. The black and white illustrations receive frequent mentions for their expressive quality and DIY zine aesthetic that matches the memoir's tone. Multiple readers note the book resonates with anyone who has complicated family relationships or has struggled with coming out. Several reviews highlight the author's ability to balance heavy themes with moments of humor. Common criticisms include an occasionally confusing timeline and underdeveloped secondary characters. Some readers wanted more resolution with certain plot threads, particularly around family dynamics. Numbers: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (120+ reviews) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (150+ ratings) Sample reader quote from Goodreads: "The art style shifts between scenes added layers of meaning to the narrative - detailed for present day, simple lines for memories, which worked perfectly for a story about uncovering truth."

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🎨 Nicole Georges taught herself to draw while creating a long-running comic zine called "Invincible Summer," which helped develop her signature illustration style seen in "Calling Dr. Laura" 📻 The book's title refers to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a controversial radio host known for giving callers tough advice, though she appears only briefly in the actual memoir 🌟 The author worked as a karaoke host and created illustrations for various Portland musicians while writing and illustrating this graphic memoir 🔍 Georges discovered the truth about her father through a palm reader in a pivotal moment that sparked the memoir's central journey 🏆 The book won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Graphic Novels in 2014, establishing Georges as a significant voice in queer graphic literature