russians in a boat.

Seeds of Spring #6: The Principle of Common Understanding

by Christopher Coquard Author and Sacha Ravenda Illustrator

In a boat on a serene lake, Naguset and Mandy discuss their futures and their mothers. Later, they dance away their troubles. Peter, stymied by bureaucracy heads even further east to conduct a survey of Manchuria. His new beard creates welcome moment of levity before he has to deal with a disaster that makes him question his life choices. He takes charge of what he can, crystallizing his principles about leadership and community. 

In this innovative serial graphic novel, Naguset, a modern Canadian Mi'kmaq teenager, exchanges books and mix tapes with her pen pal, Chris. Her imagination sparks when he sends her a biography of the 19th century Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin. The story juxtaposes Naguset's personal and political coming-of-age in her loving family home with Kropotkin's rocky upbringing in a princely palace. These two stories of eventful lives and bold hearts are interwoven with Kropotkin's theories of freedom, Mi'kmaq vocabulary and social history, and an uplifting punk soundtrack, creating a unique reading experience bound to inspire readers to think in new ways about the issues of our time.