“Key Limes” is an in-progress graphic memoir rooted in family history that explores multigenerational relationships. Thematically, it focuses on familial love and loss, the spaces shared with family, the impact of geographical distance, and the stories and objects that represent a person who has left us behind. I navigate these themes through my relationship with my maternal grandparents, both of whom were second generation Americans of Ukrainian descent. Grandpa Andy—the adventurous patriarch of the family—was a veteran, forest ranger, tropical fruit grower, and captivating storyteller. As his own health declined, he supported my gentle, artistic, and detail-oriented Grandma Rose as she struggled with Alzheimer’s. As the story progresses, I learn to not let the grief of losing them be our relationship’s defining characteristic, and instead embrace the impact that they continue to have on my perspective, choices, and values.

I started writing Key Limes in 2017. The published panels are being used as a proof of concept, so they are not fully linear as a group. Completed chapters include Ch. 8 (published March 2021), Ch. 1 (May 2022), Ch. 2 (July 2022), Ch. 3 (January 2023), and Ch. 4 (November 2023). I am currently drafting layouts for Chapter 5, and intend to create a total of 16 chapters.

-Hannah Dunscombe
hannahdunscombe.com