Red Mother With Childby Patti MartinsonReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 The Red Mother with Child refers to a carved figurine of a mother and child done by the Master of Tintam from the West African country of Mali. It's so named because the actual name isn't known.This graphic novel comprises two storylines. One storyline is Alou, who discovers the Red Mother inside a baobab tree and is charged with a sacred mission of delivering the figurine to the Louvre, where it will be safe from the Muslim extremists who have overrun Mali, and who seek out and destroy any art they find. Alou's journey is very dangerous and expensive, and, even when he arrives in Paris, his journey seems to be just beginning. The other story is with Claude, who works at the Louvre and has a particular concern for indigenous art and a special fondness for a similar Red Mother that is already in the museum. We follow Claude as he talks with colleagues about art and of the many immigrants who live in encampments near the famed museum. Both storylines are quite fascinating, giving some insight into two areas I know little about: Mali and its people, and the Louvre and its extensive museums that do far more than just house objects. The artwork is similarly fascinating, it is comprised entirely in black and white, but it still tells a rich and colorful story. I was particularly enamored of how beautiful the people are rendered in this novel, richly detailed and seemingly leaping off the page into my living room. Informative, beautiful and compelling. Written: September 4, 2020
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