KIN

Cartoonist and writer Johnson considers the ways our lives are enriched by relationships with those outside our nuclear families.

Following up an earlier memoir of polyamory (Many Love), Johnson here touches on the subject as it plays out in her life, but for the most part, she concerns herself with more platonic relationships. The term “kin,” as the author somewhat confusingly redefines it, doesn’t have anything to do with “bloodlines and lineage,” but stands in as a substitute for noncasual friendship. (“I like the word kin. It’s tidy and reminds me of other words with which I have positive association,” she explains.) Using the structure of an encouraging, down-to-earth self-help book and addressing the readers to whom she imparts advice familiarly as “you,” Johnson rambles through a wide range of studies on varied aspects of friendship and community to make the unsurprising points that raising infants often feels overwhelming, having friends close by is more satisfying than if they’re thousands of miles away, and asking for help is essential. She often pauses to suggest small actions readers might take to move in the direction of greater kinship: “Share meals with friends or neighbors” or “Swap play dates.” Some may find Johnson’s broader proposals for relationships more idealistic than practical. “Communities need individuals who are emotionally resilient as a result of rigorous self-inventory and intentional healing,” the author maintains, and she continually stresses the importance of therapy as a tool for maintaining friendships. The volume includes several of her cartoon illustrations, though fewer than those familiar with her earlier work might expect. Johnson’s thoughtfulness and compassion shine through, even if the reader comes out with only a few concrete plans for change.

A sensible, encouraging, and well-intentioned treatise on the importance of community.