Breadcrumbs - by Kasia Babis (Paperback)

About the Book

"A moving graphic memoir...Breadcrumbs is a coming-of-age story set in Poland as the country transitions from communism to capitalism. In the late 1980s, Poland faces debilitating food shortages, worker discontent, and astronomical inflation. Seemingly overnight, the country transitions from communism to capitalism. During this period of flux, Kasia Babis is born. In the shadow of national change, Kasia experiences her own journey of growth, from rebellious teen to politically minded activist. She grapples with her country's deep-rooted Catholicism and forges her own beliefs, leading to her becoming an active part of Poland's left-wing Razem party. Each new experience is a reminder that broader societal upheavals reverberate on a deeply personal level. With a deft balance of the intimate and geopolitical, Kasia Babis chronicles her fight to uphold her progressive values while her country heads in the opposite direction. Breadcrumbs is a coming-of-age story--not only of Kasia but of Poland as a modern state."--

Book Synopsis

An NPR Best Book of the Year

This moving graphic memoir is a coming-of-age story set in Poland as the country transitions from communism to capitalism. Perfect for fans of Persepolis!

In the late 1980s, Poland faces debilitating food shortages, worker discontent, and astronomical inflation. Seemingly overnight, the country transitions from communism to capitalism. During this period of flux, Kasia Babis is born.

In the shadow of national change, Kasia experiences her own journey of growth, from rebellious teen to politically minded activist. She grapples with her country's deep-rooted Catholicism and forges her own beliefs, leading to her becoming an active part of Poland's left-wing Razem party. Kasia fights to uphold her progressive values while her country heads in the opposite direction, and learns firsthand that broader societal upheavals reverberate on a deeply personal level.

Review Quotes

"Throughout, Poland's past resonates with the present, mirroring political tensions in the United States and underscoring the importance of grassroots resistance in the face of rising fascism." --The Beat, from "The Beat's Best Comics of 2025"

"Built of snapshots drawn in gray scale, with deft flashes of red, this memoir powerfully recounts Babis' unique journey of finding her place through storytelling and activism." --NPR

"A beautifully drawn memoir, bursting with humor, heartache, and hope." --Steve Sheinkin, bestselling author of Impossible Escape and Bomb

"In mining her own life, comics creator and activist Babis also provides a contextual overview of Poland's sociopolitical communism-to-capitalism transformation between 1989 to 2023." --Booklist

About the Author

Kasia Babis is a Polish cartoonist, illustrator, and political activist with an online following of over one hundred thousand fans. Her viral comics succinctly skewer social issues ranging from racism to street harassment with a distinctly feminist perspective.