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Flying Kites: A Story of the 2013 California Prison Hunger Strike
A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about resilience, forgiveness, hope, and what it means to find your own voice behind prison walls
After guards find a book in his cell containing the pencilled name of a suspected gang member, Rodrigo Santiago is "validated" for gang affiliation and sent to indefinite solitary confinement in the Pelican Bay State Prison Secure Housing Unit, or SHU. Life in the SHU is monotonous, isolating, and enraging. It literally drives prisoners insane. Rodrigo resolves to survive. He struggles to maintain a connection to his daughter, Luz, through letters that are his only happiness. As Luz grows up, though, she presses Rodrigo for more insight into his daily life. She wants the real him. Willing to give her anything she asks, but finding himself at a loss for words, Rodrigo makes a mistake that threatens to destroy the trust between them. Meanwhile a bold, state-wide hunger strike in California prisons gathers force. Gang enmities are set aside. Improbable alliances are forged. Activists and prisoner families organize on the outside. Finding herself increasingly politicized over this issue, Luz fears she can never help her dad. Rodrigo fears he 's lost his daughter forever. On opposite sides of the prison walls they fight to end the torture of endless isolation. Based on the events of the historic 2013 California prison hunger strike, Flying Kites is a story about resilience, forgiveness, hope, and what it means to find your own voice.
After guards find a book in his cell containing the pencilled name of a suspected gang member, Rodrigo Santiago is "validated" for gang affiliation and sent to indefinite solitary confinement in the Pelican Bay State Prison Secure Housing Unit, or SHU. Life in the SHU is monotonous, isolating, and enraging. It literally drives prisoners insane. Rodrigo resolves to survive. He struggles to maintain a connection to his daughter, Luz, through letters that are his only happiness. As Luz grows up, though, she presses Rodrigo for more insight into his daily life. She wants the real him. Willing to give her anything she asks, but finding himself at a loss for words, Rodrigo makes a mistake that threatens to destroy the trust between them. Meanwhile a bold, state-wide hunger strike in California prisons gathers force. Gang enmities are set aside. Improbable alliances are forged. Activists and prisoner families organize on the outside. Finding herself increasingly politicized over this issue, Luz fears she can never help her dad. Rodrigo fears he 's lost his daughter forever. On opposite sides of the prison walls they fight to end the torture of endless isolation. Based on the events of the historic 2013 California prison hunger strike, Flying Kites is a story about resilience, forgiveness, hope, and what it means to find your own voice.
144 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 19, 2023
As part of a class project, Stanford University students produced this historical fiction to help educate about the abuses of solitary confinement in California and most American prison systems. Amongst the true events of the 2013 prisoner hunger strike intended to draw attention to the problems, the creative team has tucked in a little inspirational story about a daughter's relationship with her imprisoned father.
I like the information and spirit, even if the writing is a little unpolished at times. My main reservation is the varying quality of the artwork, produced by two or more different artists, only one of whom I would consider good. It's particularly jarring when two different artists are featured on the same two-page spread, each depicting the same character in their own distinct manner.
This book and two other recent books in the Stanford Graphic Novel Project are available to read digitally for free at https://graphicnovelproject.sites.sta....
I like the information and spirit, even if the writing is a little unpolished at times. My main reservation is the varying quality of the artwork, produced by two or more different artists, only one of whom I would consider good. It's particularly jarring when two different artists are featured on the same two-page spread, each depicting the same character in their own distinct manner.
This book and two other recent books in the Stanford Graphic Novel Project are available to read digitally for free at https://graphicnovelproject.sites.sta....
June 24, 2021
Haymarket Books runs a great program. For $30 a month you can get a print and digital copy of every book they publish in addition to a 50% discount on all their other books. There are less expensive options which include just digital copies and the discount but I enjoy the books Haymarket puts out, and I am fortunate to be able to afford the monthly $30.
I would encourage anyone reading my review to look into this program, and if you can afford it I would highly recommend starting a subscription. If nothing else $30 per month buys a lot more than the cover prices of all the books that are included.
My copy of Flying Kites arrived courtesy this subscription. You have the option to opt out of any of the books published monthly although I never have because I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen to read a lot of the books had they not come courtesy Haymarket. Flying Kites is a good example. I generally don’t read a lot of graphic novels and so I wouldn’t have found this book browsing on my own. Yet, this was another solid installment courtesy Haymarket Books.
The artistry is deceptively simple. There’s actually a great amount of detail and feeling contained in every panel. The story itself is a simple one and a short one but so well done.
I would encourage anyone reading my review to look into this program, and if you can afford it I would highly recommend starting a subscription. If nothing else $30 per month buys a lot more than the cover prices of all the books that are included.
My copy of Flying Kites arrived courtesy this subscription. You have the option to opt out of any of the books published monthly although I never have because I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen to read a lot of the books had they not come courtesy Haymarket. Flying Kites is a good example. I generally don’t read a lot of graphic novels and so I wouldn’t have found this book browsing on my own. Yet, this was another solid installment courtesy Haymarket Books.
The artistry is deceptively simple. There’s actually a great amount of detail and feeling contained in every panel. The story itself is a simple one and a short one but so well done.
July 6, 2021
4.5 stars. Shines a light on a practice that is so inhuman. I also just discovered the Stanford graphic novel project and love it!
July 11, 2022
This piercing graphic novel was pitched and created by Stanford students and highlights the cruelty of solitary confinement and the collaboration that led to the largest prisoners' hunger strike in US history. I appreciate the art, research, and passion that went into this, and I especially appreciate the section on how to take action. For example, they recommend subscribing to articles and updates from solitarywatch.org, reading Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement, downloading the "6 x 9" app, and signing up to be a pen pal through solitarywatch.org/lifelines - though they are currently wait-listing interested volunteers.
September 20, 2021
4.5 rounded up to 5.
My first graphic novel as an adult. The last one I read was _Maus_ in high school.
This was a great account of the 2013 california prison hunger strike with peaked at 30,000 prisoners across 34 prisons.
The conditions of prisoners is beyond cruel, but secure housing units (SHU), or solitary confinement, are downright diabolical.
This graphic novel covered so much ground: dynamics of family life; mental health; violence and domination; and prison organizing.
The combination or narrative and illustrations was fantastic. Easy to read, but no less substantive. Even more impressive considering this is the result of a collaborative class project from the 2019 Stanford Graphic Novel project, produced in only a matter of months.
The only thing I would’ve liked to see is a more overt political angle considering prison reform is an inherently political subject. For instance, an analysis of prisons as being necessarily violent and needing to be abolished would’ve been very fitting. If there was a minor character who was pushing for this more radical demand, that would’ve also given a chance for the story to include the prison abolitionists who were part of the organizing.
All in all, great, quick read. I do recommend.
My first graphic novel as an adult. The last one I read was _Maus_ in high school.
This was a great account of the 2013 california prison hunger strike with peaked at 30,000 prisoners across 34 prisons.
The conditions of prisoners is beyond cruel, but secure housing units (SHU), or solitary confinement, are downright diabolical.
This graphic novel covered so much ground: dynamics of family life; mental health; violence and domination; and prison organizing.
The combination or narrative and illustrations was fantastic. Easy to read, but no less substantive. Even more impressive considering this is the result of a collaborative class project from the 2019 Stanford Graphic Novel project, produced in only a matter of months.
The only thing I would’ve liked to see is a more overt political angle considering prison reform is an inherently political subject. For instance, an analysis of prisons as being necessarily violent and needing to be abolished would’ve been very fitting. If there was a minor character who was pushing for this more radical demand, that would’ve also given a chance for the story to include the prison abolitionists who were part of the organizing.
All in all, great, quick read. I do recommend.
August 16, 2024
As someone extremely interested in the justice system (though my career has taken a turn away from that for the time being), I immediately wanted to read this book. I am pretty familiar with the hunger strike and enjoyed reading it from this fictionalized perspective. However, while I know this was a student project, the art changes could be very jarring. It felt like there were different levels of effort being expended. It also was a bit short and brushed over some important topics.
March 30, 2023
What a phenomenal graphic novel. The illustrations were gorgeous even when depicting difficult/painful moments. The writing was engaging, emotional, and memorable. I also really appreciated the appendices with really useful/important information to help me engage in the issue of ending solitary confinement. Please read this!
January 13, 2024
I found this book when I was visiting Eastern State Penitentiary with my sister. First off, that place is amazing. Second, the whole idea behind it, that isolation is what leads to rehabiliation, came from this prison. People were kept for YEARS AND YEARS in solitary confinement even though the United Nations says that solitary confinement for more than 14 days is torture. In 2013 a strike in California lead to the change in some policies in some prisons. But SERIOUSLY. It was upsetting. Yes, some of these people are really really really bad people. Yes they need to be in prison as they are a danger to society. But it is really upsetting to me that the prison system (which is a disaster) uses torture as a method of "rehabilitation" here in the US. Anyway, this graphic novel was excellent, something super important to think about.
July 31, 2021
It’s actually a penpal from San Quentin who lived through this hunger strike that recommended this book to me and I’m glad that I read it. This graphic novel was beautifully written and illustrated but a tad short for my taste especially for a book that deals with such a deep and important topic.
The artwork was excellent, entertaining from beginning to end. The story too was captivating and I actually read the book in one sitting. I particularly appreciated the real world statistics at the end of the book. Whatever your reason is to want to pick up this novel, it’s very educational and you won’t be left feeling indifferent by the time you reach the end.
The artwork was excellent, entertaining from beginning to end. The story too was captivating and I actually read the book in one sitting. I particularly appreciated the real world statistics at the end of the book. Whatever your reason is to want to pick up this novel, it’s very educational and you won’t be left feeling indifferent by the time you reach the end.
January 17, 2022
Regardless of personal feelings of the legal system, or the rights/privileges you feel a prisoner deserves due to crimes committed verses what we'd consider an "innocent confinement", this is an eye opening project of how one of the largest hunger strikes shined light on a nation and on the use of solitary confinement as a punishment and the treatment of prisoners. This is not set in a country we'd assume had human right atrocities, but in California, USA 2013. Extras including more background, interview, biographies and other books created included.
April 7, 2022
great graphic novel. really brutal to read at parts as all accounts of the amerikan prison system are. important history of a HUGE political event / organizing in my state & my lifetime that i didnt even know happened ( -_-). also really captures the incredible networks and bonds of lifesaving care that develop between imprisoned people despite everything. it tells the story of the prison strike thru a fictional relationship between a dad in solitary and his daughter, which works well imo. lmk if youd like to borrow it.
August 28, 2021
A neat graphic novel to come out from the Stanford Graphic Novel project, this student authored piece of historical fiction tells the story of the real 2013 California Prison Hunger Strike against the systematic mistreatment of prison inmates. While the art definitely reflects the student nature of the project, the quality storytelling immerses the reader in a piece of recent history they likely are unfamiliar with.
July 9, 2022
Good book. Highly recommend. I was hoping for more about the hunger strike itself and less of a memoir style of a specific person. The illustrations were very very simple and borderline juvenile that I feel like was a lost opportunity on having some really engaging and complex illustrations.
May 24, 2023
It's so unbelievably cool that this is the product of an annual collaborative undergrad class! I just wish there was more consistency in the illustration (one of the students is clearly very talented at graphic illustration, it would've been great to see their work span the entire novel).
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September 23, 2023Important and excellent intro to the cruelty of U.S. prisons and our insistence on using torture to punish people in prison. I’d have this in a classroom and possibly use it as a whole-class unit, but I’m sure it would be problematic in today’s ludicrous book banning climate. #abolishprisons
October 27, 2021
very illuminating book from a very cool project and a very rad publisher
November 6, 2021
This book does such a great job talking about a huge and heart breaking issue. i learned a lot from this and it also coincidentally made me feel like i have to go to stanford so i can take this class
August 31, 2022
Heavy topic but a really moving story wow
December 7, 2023
What an important and eye-opening book. Highly recommend
October 24, 2024
short and deceptively simple art but incredible important and incredibly powerful story.
October 30, 2024
Piercing and phenomenal. A truly wonderful yet grim reading experience.
December 28, 2024
Absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend.
January 11, 2022
stunning work, although read with a heavy heart.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews