Flying Kites: A Story of the 2013 California Prison Hunger Strike

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel explores resilience, forgiveness, hope, and finding one’s voice behind prison walls.

After guards find a book in his cell with a suspected gang member’s name, Rodrigo Santiago is “validated” and sent to indefinite solitary confinement in the Pelican Bay State Prison Secure Housing Unit. Life in the SHU is monotonous, isolating, and enraging, driving prisoners insane. Rodrigo resolves to survive, struggling to maintain a connection with his daughter, Luz, through letters that are his only happiness. As Luz grows up, she demands more insight into his daily life, seeking the real him. Meanwhile, a state-wide hunger strike in California prisons gains momentum. On opposite sides of the prison walls, they fight to end the torture of endless isolation. Based on the historic 2013 California prison hunger strike, this book is a story about resilience, forgiveness, hope, and finding one’s voice.