Marry Me a Little
A heartfelt memoir that also serves to document LGBTQ+ marriage in the US, Rob Kirby’s Marry Me a Little combines the personal and the political into a single, affecting graphic novel.
Kirby’s story centers on October 3, 2013, the date of his marriage amid heated national debates on the subject of LGBTQ+ equality. The book alternates larger looks at the political landscape with more intimate views of the daily lives of Kirby and his husband and their thoughts on the subject of marriage. A wedding that once didn’t seem possible is met with happiness and a sense of fulfillment, but also conflicted feelings about the ceremony’s importance and what it should look like.
Kirby shares his opinions on several subjects; not everyone will agree with his takes, whether his points are political in nature or about his selections for the best wedding songs. It all serves as characterization, revealing the person behind the marriage tale. While discussing weddings in television and film, Kirby observes that “real life is so much less dramatic than the movies.” Yet this real-life account is intimate, opinionated, and interesting, with thoughtful, memorable lines like “Marriage doesn’t define a relationship unless you want it to.”
The book’s limited color palette uses black, white, red, and blue, the latter two enhancing the visual language by emphasizing specific elements of the drawings or text. The book’s quiet simplicity reinforces Kirby’s message: people in love sometimes wish to express that love in the same ways as everyone else, and they should have that right.
Marry Me a Little highlights the human beings behind the politics of LGBTQ+ marriage.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
