The graphic novel Adna by Samira Kentrić was recently published by Mladinska knjiga. Adna’s story is universal and timeless – each one of us must overcome our own obstacles along the path to adulthood and find the strength and courage for change and a search for the meaning of existence. All that differs are the circumstances.

The idea for the book Adna came from the illustrated booklet Letter to Adna (Beletrina, 2016), in which a farewell letter and the circumstances in which it is written end Adna’s never very carefree childhood. The story, told by artist Samira Kentrić primarily through pictures, is continued and built on in this work through the adult Adna, who wants the girl to be given a chance and herself describes her attitude towards the circumstances and the people who surrounded her in the past, and still do.

Adna, a girl in her early twenties, comes face to face with the memory of her refugee past. She wonders about the meaning of existence after the deaths of loved ones, but is unable to share her traumatic experience with anyone. Although she is quite fortunate that her guardian provides her with a materially and intellectually dignified life and she is seemingly well integrated into the society in which she finds herself, she remains alone. She has no problems making contacts, she does well in new circumstances, but she carefully hides who she really is from the outside world. She has control over her appearance and over her sexuality, but deep inside her there remains a locked-up pain, right up until the day her world unexpectedly starts to spin differently and forces her into opening up and stepping forward.

The graphic novel Adna was created over the years from 2016 to 2020. During this period the author made over 130 illustrations. The pictures were the first to be created, and arranged into a story during the process of creation. Samira Kentrić’s powerful images are searingly direct, relevant, and uncompromising, remaining with us long after we put the book down. The countless references to current events and political realities as well as social and art history lend themselves to different and repeated readings. The author expresses her strong social conscience and engagement through these images, and at the very end, knits them together with an exceptional text that reveals the background to the images and tells the intimate story of a girl who, after a traumatic experience and a long period of numbness, lives a full life and finds meaning in it.

Adna’s story is universal and timeless – each one of us must overcome our own obstacles along the path to adulthood and find the strength and courage for change and a search for the meaning of existence. All that differs are the circumstances.