Talking to My Father’s Ghost

“Shortly after his funeral, my dad started haunting me . . . and it’s been a delight!” —Alex

Inspired by real-life experience, Alex Krokus’s graphic novel is a heartfelt and humorous story of losing a parent and getting to know him better after his passing.

Set over the course of a single year, this book follows Alex and his father’s ghost as they stroll along winter beaches, camp in rattlesnake-infested deserts, and share countless diner meals together. Between fielding fatherly lectures on the importance of doing his taxes, how to properly shovel the driveway, and why he should always tip twenty percent, Alex tries to figure out what he needs to say to his dad.

Is this a good time for him to come out as bisexual? Or maybe he should ask his dad why he loved drinking so much when it nearly destroyed his health? With help from his mom, his brother, a whole cast of extended family members, and, of course, the ghost himself, Alex tries to figure out how to say goodbye.

In the tradition of Roz Chast’s Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? and Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, this graphic novel uses humor to examine family foibles and eccentricities as well as the experience of losing a parent. Relatable and heartfelt, it speaks to the universal experience of grief and how it ripples through a community.