Les Filles de Salem #[nn]

Four young women in period dress pick their way along a massive, gnarled tree trunk that bridges a rocky chasm — an arresting image that immediately signals both fragility and defiance. Thomas Gilbert's cover art for this Dargaud release frames the girls of Salem against an ancient, enveloping forest, the subtitle Comment nous avons condamné nos enfants ("How we condemned our children") lending the scene a quiet, haunting weight. For readers drawn to historical drama with a lyrical visual sensibility, this 2018 French-language work looks like a genuinely compelling place to start.