Dixie Road

    (NBM)
™ and © NBM

Leave it to a Belgian and a Frenchman to teach Americans their own history. Written by Jean Dufaux and illustrated by Hugues Labiano, this series revisits the Depression-era South, where a family’s only friend is the road, as they escape the law and society’s dead ends. Coming of age, Dixie is the daughter of a small-time, spendthrift bank robber and a woman who futilely tries to retain a scrap of dignity in the face of poverty, crime, and prejudice.

In this volume, the family stops in Alabama and sees the shortcomings of the feudal system of share-cropping first-hand. As field laborers threaten to strike against a merciless farmer who’s backed by the local police, can the family go straight? In a historical footnote, Dixie encounters the yet-to-be-famous James Agee (writer) and Walker Evans (photographer), as they reflect on the status quo. But, as the plans of a corrupt cop, shady private eye, and prostitute cross paths, violent conflict is bound to arise.

No run-of-the-mill rehashing, this title takes the high road in retelling the trials and tribulations of those shortchanged by the American Dream, whose hard work and persistence don’t necessarily pay off. Of course, the weaknesses of human nature (greed, lust, envy) throw a wrench into good intentions. The portrayal of personal foibles with a dollop of educational commentary is both unflinching and compelling. Let’s hope Dixie learns to find her own voice.

— Oliver Chin
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist