NPR's Book of the Day 'Feeding Ghosts' is a graphic memoir grappling with generational trauma
Jan 1, 2026
Tessa Hulls, a comics artist and author, explores her grandmother Sun Yi's harrowing journey as a journalist in Shanghai during the Chinese Communist Revolution in her graphic memoir, 'Feeding Ghosts.' Hulls reveals the impact of generational trauma on her family, detailing her grandmother's persecution and the complexities of her choices. She reflects on her own fears of vulnerability, the emotional distance shaped by their past, and ultimately, her quest for healing as she reconnects with her family history and heritage.
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Family Trauma As Living Ghosts
- Tessa Hulls frames family trauma as 'ghosts'—the unfazed past living inside relatives.
- She treats her role as nourishing those ghosts by listening, witnessing, and making space for their stories.
Escaping Through Extreme Adventures
- Tessa left home and chased extremes like trips to Antarctica and Alaska to escape family pain.
- Facing her mother and grandmother required vulnerability she had long avoided.
Grandmother: Journalist In Turbulent Shanghai
- Tessa's grandmother became a female journalist in Shanghai and reported from civil war front lines.
- Her memoir recorded thought-reform campaigns that preceded her mental collapse.