Two Tribes

Emily Bowen-Cohen 

Disney Hyperion, 320 pp. ISBN: 978-1-36808-285-3

Grades 4 and up

Mia’s mom (and stepfather) are Jewish, while her dad is Muscogee. As she readies for her Bat Mitzvah, Mia realizes that an entire part of her identity has not been actualized. She makes secret plans to visit her dad in Oklahoma and learn more about her Native American roots. Emily Bowen Cohen – a Muscogee-Jewish author – honors both sides of Mia’s heritage in this powerful graphic novel.

Emily Bowen Cohen

Emily Bowen Cohen creates comics that explore intersectional identity. She is Jewish and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She uses personal experience to tell stories that examine contemporary American and Jewish culture.

Emily grew up in rural Oklahoma. Her father was the Chief of Staff at their tribal hospital and her mother is a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey. When Emily was nine years-old, her father passed away and she was separated from her Native family.

A decade later, she returned to Oklahoma for a bittersweet homecoming.  Emily graduated from Harvard University. She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her husband and their three Native American Jewish children. 

author website