The Library Mule of Cordoba - Wilfrid Lupano - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Wilfrid Lupano

GENRE: Graphic Novel

PUBLICATION DATE: September 17, 2024

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A graphic novel that would work well for older teens and adults. A historical fiction set in the year 976 in Spain. The plot approach is quite humorous and adventurous but underneath lies a dark part of human history. Recommended!

Plot Preview:

976 AD. Al-Andalus, Spain. The Caliphate of Cordoba has been blessed with many rulers who value culture and knowledge. However, after the reigning Caliph dies unexpectedly and his son is too young to take charge, his power-hungry vizier Muhammad Amir seizes the opportunity. One of his priority assignments is to destroy the 400000 books in the Caliph’s library. When the head librarian, an overweight eunuch named Tarid, overhears the Caliph’s plan, he decides to save whatever books he can, even if he isn’t physically fit to outrun anyone.

Joined by a female copyist named Lubna, a former apprentice Marwan who is currently a thief and vagabond, and the most stubborn mule in history, the unlikely team sets forth on a crazy adventure that includes several madcap experiences and life-threatening incidents, all to save books from a fiery fate.

This graphic novel was originally published in French under the title ‘La Bibliomule de Cordoue.’ This English translation came out in September 2024.

Bookish Yays:

📚 The title of this book reminded of the packhorse librarians made famous by Kim Michele Richardson in ‘The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek’. However, unlike the helpful packhorses who actually functioned as a library for the mountain dwellers of Kentucky, our titular mule is a stubborn fellow who is pushed into serving as a ‘bookmobile’. Not sure if he deserves being the eponymous protagonist, but he sure is a fun addition to this story.

📚 While the plot itself isn’t true, the historical background and the destruction of the Cordoba library (whether by burning the books or not) did happen. Lubna was also an actual slave copyist. The reality of the story is quite grim, though the plot feels light.

📚 The introductory details on the Caliphate and the geographical and historical background of the region. Also the parting note on the events mentioned in the plot. Both very helpful in getting the right setting for the story, especially as medieval Spain isn’t something everyone knows about.

📚 The main trio: Tarid, Lubna, and Marwan. Their connection might not always be smooth, but as a team, they work excellently. Tarid and Lubna carry the added burden of bringing a social aspect into the narrative, because Tariq is a eunuch slave and Lubna is a female Black slave. Their education and work position might surprise many who believe the American slavery narrative to be universally applicable.

📚 A historical graphic novel where the female is not just a prop but has an active role to play? More power to Lubna!

📚 The mule’s fascination for mathematician Al-Khwarizmi! 😆 The mule shows how “mulish” came into being as an adjective in English.

📚 The episodic adventures that see the three main characters (four if you count the mule) struggle with external threats as well as personal struggles such as hunger.

📚 The books and Tarid’s and Lubna’s passion for them will win every bibliophile’s heart!

📚 The graphics. Dark and light in hues as needed by the plot. Comical when necessary, serious when not. The illustrations go excellently with the story.

📚 The final few pages of the story are sobering, saddening, and scary. They highlight many major libraries of the world that have been destroyed due to religious wars and power-crazy but fragile egos. From the Great Library of Alexandria between the 4th-6th centuries to the Baghdad library in 2007, book destruction still continues. It might be symbolic in these days of the digital word, but any kind of book ban or book burning throws back progress by years. I wonder how much of human advancement has been hindered simply because we lost the knowledge gained by our forebears to the actions of egomaniacs.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

📕 Though the story is serious at its core, there is plenty of humour in the banter and in the actions, especially when Tarid is trying to manoeuvre the obstinate mule as per his wishes. The humour helps balance the challenges of their situation. At the same time, I feel that the levity affects the seriousness of the issue, especially because the final few pages of the comic turn extremely disheartening. The jump between the light scenes in the plot to those dreary final pages with details of many (though not all) of the destroyed libraries of the world is too sudden. It feels weird to go from laughing in one second to sober in the next.

Bookish Nays:

📜 As seems to be a common trend with European bande dessinées, there is a nude scene in the book, and as expected, it is female nudity. I don’t complain about this if the plot needs it, but in this story, it was not at all necessary. Though this doesn’t last for many panels, it still feels forced in.

📜 The ending of the main plot of Tarid and his group saving the books is very abrupt.

📜 Corporal punishment of children appears multiple times to induce chuckles. Physical beating is not a joke!

All in all, I loved this story for the way it tackled a dark historical truth in a relatively easy-to-understand manner. I am sure Tarid would have been very pleased with this book.

Much recommended to historical fiction readers who are also graphic novel enthusiasts. Suitable to older teens and above. Do check out the content warnings mentioned below.

My thanks to Diamond Book Distributors and Ablaze for providing the DRC of “The Library Mule of Cordoba” via Edelweiss+. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Possible age-inappropriate content for youngsters: indication of sexual relationships, multiple mentions of castration, mental health issues, threatened sexual assault, nudity, slavery, corporal punishment, fat shaming, religious tussles, violence, parental death.