This Pride Month, I wanted to highlight I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, a YA historical romance graphic novel that is one of my favorite comics I’ve read this year. I feel that it’s important to recognize that we have always been here, and not without opportunities for love and personal expression.
George, their best friend Eleanor, and Eleanor’s cousin Charlotte have been inseparable since they were children. Eleanor doesn’t want anything to change that, least of all romance, as she has no interest in taking a husband despite the dying wishes of her mother. However, as the trio comes of age, George inherits an estate and tries to manage its dwindling finances, all while secretly dressing masculinely and pining over Eleanor; Eleanor is courted by a dubious new nobleman; and Charlotte develops feelings for a man of lower social status.
In the space of a standalone graphic novel, this story deftly handles the web of social politics one expects from a regency romance, with layers of satisfying setup and payoff. The main couple’s attachment as life-long friends is sold through their banter and a heavy helping of mutual pining, and the distance that develops between them is believable due to the setting and the changes in their lives.
The art also delivers on the lush backgrounds and historical fashion that one wants from a story about country nobles, with the characters’ expressiveness suiting the tone and demographic. I especially enjoyed watching George exist on the page as a nonbinary character in this setting; they are unfailingly honorable and lovingly depicted regardless of how they are able to present themselves in any given situation. As is explained at the end of the book (with resources to learn more), the depiction of marginalized characters in this story is grounded in history, as is the form that their happy endings take. It made it all the more rewarding to see them find happiness knowing that the story is honest about the restrictions they have experienced.
Eleanor’s ignorance as a privileged white woman combined with her desire to maintain her social circle’s status quo leads her to sometimes be dismissive of others and their experiences, including Charlotte’s experiences as a Black woman who has been treated differently than Eleanor within the same family. At times, one has to wonder why someone with as much integrity as George is so devoted to Eleanor. However, the graphic novel approaches Eleanor’s flaws with intention, rather than glossing over the faults someone in her position would likely have, while still giving her room to grow in concrete ways.
I Shall Never Fall in Love is a thoughtfully portrayed story from beginning to end.
Content warnings for family death and period-typical bigotry including transphobia, homophobia, racism, misogyny, and references to slavery.
