I Shall Never Fall In Love by Hari Conner – Published by Harper Alley, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2024

This YA graphic novel is a perfect selection for the queer tween in your life as we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month.  It is inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Emma and the Regency Romance formula, so it is packed with Austenian drama, heartache, scandal and yearning and it is also packed with queer, nonbinary, and people of color living in 19^th century British “high society.”  Hari Conner is both author and illustrator and their artwork is stunning, with beautiful colors and thoughtful historic detail of mid 1800’s English homes, estates, period dress and costumes, and the larger world that their characters inhabit. 

Let me introduce you to the three main characters in this historical romance:

George (they/them) proclaimed a girl and named Georgiana at birth has never been ladylike.  They have major problems now that they are grown up. They have just inherited the failing family estate, as their older brother John never wanted to run the family estate and be stuck in a stupid little village.  Also, George’s feelings for their lifelong best friend Eleanor have become more complicated in recent years.  Finally, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men’s clothing, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name.

Eleanor (she/her) has always wanted to do everything “right,” including falling in love – but she’s never met a boy she was interested in.  She’d much rather spend time with her best friend George and her beloved cousin Charlotte.  However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships with both George and Charlotte threatened, forcing her to rethink what “right” means and also confront feelings she never knew she had.

Charlotte (she/her) is Eleanor’s first cousin and dearest friend.  While Eleanor’s father was the eldest son and thereby inherited the house, estate, and plenty of money, Charlotte’s father was the youngest, and being disliked by his conservative parents, especially after he married a black woman, inherited nothing.  Eleanor’s parents, who thought of themselves as very kind, agreed to take Charlotte in, when she was a child, to educate and provide for her until she was twenty-one and old enough to marry.  Charlotte and Eleanor have grown up as close as sisters, but their different skin tones suggest that they will not enjoy the same opportunities in life.

This is a joyful offbeat romance that successfully balances the telling of a cute queer love story alongside the historical accuracy of the racism, queerphobia, sexism, and bigotry of the time.  There are notes at the end of the story that give more context about queer and Black people’s lives in mid 1800’s England.  There are also FAQ’s answered by the characters, and an annotated bibliography for readers who want to learn more at the back of the book.

I Shall Neve Fall in Love was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards highlighting the best of diverse voices published in the UK & Ireland.  It was also shortlisted for the UK Waterstones Award in 2024 and was one of bookshop.org’s Best 2024 YA Picks.

Hari Connor (they/them) lives in Scotland and is an award-winning author and illustrator of comics, gamebooks, fantasies, and queer historical romances.  They are the creator of the now-complete webcomic Finding Home and choose-your-own-path books, including Into the Tower.  Their gamebooks include the ENNIE nominated Into the Dungeon.  ENNIE Awards are annual fan-based celebrations of excellence in tabletop role-playing games.  Hari enjoys writing and drawing about nature, drama, and queer longing.  They love making the kind of books they wish they had  been able to read when they were growing up.  Hari has dedicated I Shall Never Fall in Love to people who can’t be out, and trans kids everywhere.  Learn more about Hari Connor at https://www.hari-illustration.com.

This book review was submitted by Stand with Trans advocate Barb Shumer,
past board member and retired public librarian.