asianamlitfans | A Review of Jen Wang’s Ash’s Cabin (First Second, 2024)

Written by Stephen Hong Sohn
Edited by Uttara Rangarajan

I’ve been meaning to pick up Jen Wang’s Ash’s Cabin (First Second, 2024) for quite some time! I have been a huge fan of Wang’s work since Koko Be Good and have read most of what has come out since then (e.g. Stargazing, The Prince and the Dressmaker). I want to start off by saying I hope I have not made any gendering errors here, as I sometimes automatically revert to a gendered pronoun due to grammatical misfiring in my brain, so please give me some grace! In any case, Ash’s Cabin was the perfect book for me to read at the time. I remember that as I moved further into it, all I could think about was My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet, two books that I loved as a kid. Lo and behold, these two books are cited in a “for further reading” section by Wang, so we obviously read the same things as a kid. Let’s move to that ever-crucial marketing description: “Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life. But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone…can they really be happy alone? Can they survive alone?”

So, Ash ends up deciding to find out if Grandpa Edwin’s secret cabin ever existed, but they have to come up with a plan to get their way up to the area. Fortunately, Ash pushes against their parent’s wishes for vacation plans and instead is allowed to go up to some relatives in that area. Once Ash finds the perfect way to go exploring (which ends up of course creating drama down the line), they go deep into the wilderness with his trusty dog Chase. They eventually find the cabin, but living on one’s own is harder than Ash realizes. All the books they’ve read do not necessarily translate to skills out in the wild. After Ash poisons themself, they have to get help, and Ash eventually finds someone who is also finding their own way. They strike a brief friendship, and this new friend helps Ash refurbish their grandfather’s cabin. Of course, I completely forgot to mention that Ash is ¼ Chinese, as their grandfather was Chinese American! In any case, the friend goes on their way, while Ash continues to live the good life up at the cabin. When a bear attack injures Chase, Ash must make some difficult decisions about what they want to do. After all, by that point, Ash’s family has sent many people out to look for them, and Ash has been avoiding the helicopters that they see overhead. Ash ultimately realizes that they must go back to civilization and give Chase the car that the dog needs. Once back home, Ash begins to discover that they can find their way through a world that is increasingly being sensitive to their pronouns and their journey. In this respect, Ash’s story is one that will resonate with many readers, who to find a path and a life in which their gender is theirs to claim. What I especially appreciated about Wang’s political approach to this trans storyline is that Wang refuses to allow anyone to misgender Ash through deadnaming. Any time Ash’s deadname is used it is blocked out, so we already see how the graphic perspective can enact a form of representational justice. In this era of anti-DEI and book banning, I am worried that a Wang’s graphic novel may not find its readers, but I am so happy that this book is out into the world, especially in this moment and in this time of political violence. These are the kinds of books that can absolutely save lives. At the same time, Wang’s art and story are always first rate, and we should feel lucky that we are in a moment that we can see such brilliant work being produced and shared.

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A Review of Jen Wang’s Ash’s Cabin (First Second, 2024)

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