Single Mothering

With acidic humor, true stories and brutal honesty, Anna Härmälä explores the ups and downs of single motherhood in this colorful, irreverent graphic novel.

After her partner suddenly leaves her, Li finds herself alone, with the baby. She’s a single mother, and it seems like nobody will ever see her as anything else, and her eyebags are now permanent features of her face. As her daughter gets older, she finds herself passing through the different stages of single motherhood: wondering if she’ll ever meet anyone on a dating app who isn’t also a sad, single parent just wanting to be friends; wondering if she can start socializing again without people asking her why she’s not home with the baby; wondering if she can sit and watch TV without falling straight to sleep. Can Li get over the hurdles of being a single mother without losing herself in the process?

Fans of Fleabag and irreverent comedy will love this debut non-fiction graphic novel from Finnish creator, Anna Härmälä which gives us a glimpse into what it feels like to piece yourself back together and re-discover your identity when you’re running on less than an hour’s sleep a night and someone depends on you for survival.

Anna Härmälä grew up in Vantaa near Helsinki and always knew she was going to work in the art field. Her parents encouraged her interest by putting her in art and theater hobbies. Later she studied art and visual communication in Finland and Norway. She has an MA from Bergen Academy of Art and Design. She has written and illustrated several picture books published in Finland and Sweden. The books have also been translated into other languages. Anna has worked as the head of the Visual arts department at Västra Nylands folkhögskola for ten years. Her comics about single motherhood were picked up and featured in Guardian and various European newspapers.