Lily Renée, Escape Artist

In 1938, Lily Renée Wilheim is a 14-year-old Jewish girl living in Vienna. Her days are filled with art and ballet. Then the Nazis march into Austria, and Lily's life is shattered overnight. Suddenly, her own country is no longer safe for her or her family. To survive, Lily leaves her parents behind and travels alone to England.

Escaping the Nazis is only the start of Lily's journey. She must escape many more times—from servitude, hardship, and danger. Will she find a way to have her own sort of revenge on the Nazis? Follow the story of a brave girl who becomes an artist of heroes and a true pioneer in comic books.

“"When the Nazis march into Austria in 1938, Lily Renee's life changes forever. Although the Kindertransport allows Lily to escape the persecution she faces as a Jew living in Vienna, it means she must leave her parents and travel to England alone. As she embarks on this journey, she continues to face tremendous hardship and is repeatedly treated as an outsider. From being made a servant to taking a job as a nurse's assistant, Lily faces danger again and again until she is finally reunited with her parents in New York City. Inspired by everything she had to overcome, Lily grows up to illustrate comic books filled with powerful women, using her art to pursue her own kind of revenge against the Nazis. Effectively using a graphic novel format to tell a moving historical story, Lily Renee, Escape Artist puts a face to a brave teenager who survives tremendous tragedy to emerge a comic book pioneer. Although at times the simplistic narrative and colorful illustrations limit the poignancy of Lily's experience during a horrifying time in history, the positive message and historical detail make this graphic narrative a valuable resource that will appeal to young readers. Furthermore, the text also provides an extended appendix detailing some of the story's unique cultural and historic influences. A distinctive and useful visual portrayal of an inspirational true story, this graphic novel offers a great deal as an educational tool." --VOYA”

"This is a book about determination, hardship, and overcoming adversity. There aren't many Holocaust-themed books that have a happy ending, which makes this one all the more pleasurable to read." --Jewish Book World

Writer and feminist herstorian Trina Robbins wrote books, comics, and graphic novels for over 40 years. Her work includes The Brinkley Girls (Fantagraphics), Forbidden City: the Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs (Hampton Press), and the three-part YA series Chicagoland Detective Agency for Graphic Universe. Anne was born in Portland, Oregon, and received her BFA from Oregon State University. In addition to her collaboration with Trina Robbins on the Lulu Award-winning GoGirl!, Anne's work includes the Eisner-nominated Dignifying Science and Pigling: A Cinderella Story for Lerner's Graphic Myths and Legends series. She has illustrated and painted covers for children's books and provided interior and cover art for regional and national magazines, including Wired, Portland Review, and Comic Book Artist. Anne's art also appears in the anthology 9-11: Artists Respond and is now in the Library of Congress.

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