Palimpsest: Documents From a Korean Adoption is an autobiographical graphic novel about searching for one’s roots. The author, Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom, sets out to find her biological parents, showing the smallest details of the bureaucratic path she had to go through. This approach makes Palimpsest better for the patient and determined, but will also allows you to learn the inside out of the international adoption process of Korean children.
Sjöblom writes about the disappointments and difficult emotions associated with the life of an adopted child. She refuses to be satisfied with an adoptive family, she says “no” to the feeling of gratitude simply for a chance at a new life in Sweden. Instead, she goes to Korea in search of his adoptive parents. It turns out that Sjöblom’s adoption was not the result of a kidnapping or a mistake. Her parents continue to reject her – getting rid of the baby allowed them to start a new life. It seems that everyone except the author herself wants to forget about adoption. Sjöblom decides to oppose the situation by creating Palimpsest.
The graphic novel forces you to ask yourselves a series of difficult questions. Can a child’s life really be “overwritten” by a new family? Can you choose your own identity? Can other people – adoptive and biological parents – determine it for us? Do adoptive children have to accept their fate? Although Palimpsest is a difficult readuing material, it will certainly be valuable for all those who are close to the topic of adoption.
