For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden's life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school and spent weekends competing in glitter and tights. It was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies and family.
But over time, as she switched schools, got into art and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the closed-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life.
Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award-winner Tillie Walden's powerful graphic memoir captures what it's like to come of age, come out and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know.
But over time, as she switched schools, got into art and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the closed-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life.
Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award-winner Tillie Walden's powerful graphic memoir captures what it's like to come of age, come out and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know.
Tillie Walden
Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, Texas. Born in 1996, she is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont. Her books include The End of Summer, A City Inside and I Love This Part. She has already received an Eisner Award nomination and two Ignatz Awards for her work. She loves cats, architecture and going to bed at eight o'clock every night.
Reviews
"With Walden, no matter the story, you're in good hands."
— The Guardian
"Intimate and charming, Spinning already has the feeling of a coming-of-age classic – and yet, amazingly, its talented author has only just hit 21."
— The Observer