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  • Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
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Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands Paperback – March 25 2025

by Kate Beaton (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,383 ratings
4.4 on Goodreads
33,997 ratings
#2 Most Gifted in Drawn and Quarterly

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A New York Times Notable Book; a Barack Obama’s end of year favorite of 2022; and the winner of Canada Reads

Kate Beaton’s Ducks stunned the world with its unflinching honesty and candid vulnerability, cementing its place in the graphic novel canon alongside Maus, Persepolis, and Fun Home. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, young Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush—in the tradition of East Coasters seeking gainful employment when they can’t find it in the homeland they love so dear.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands puts Beaton’s natural cartooning prowess on display. Colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles are set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, Northern Lights, and Rocky Mountains. But as one of the few women among thousands of men working for the world’s largest oil companies, the culture shock is palpable. It does not hit home until she moves to a spartan, isolated worksite for higher pay. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet never discussed. For young Katie, her wounds may never heal.

Her first full length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is the first graphic novel to win Canada Reads, and was named Best Book of 2022 by The New Yorker, Time, NPR, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post. One of Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Books of the year, it was also named among the Best Graphic Novels of the Year by Forbes, The Globe and Mail and The Guardian.

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  1. Part of Series
    Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
  2. Print length
    436 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Drawn & Quarterly
  5. Publication date
    March 25 2025
  6. Dimensions
    17.15 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    1770467122
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1770467125
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Review

A monumental synthesis of history, politics, and herself. ― Vulture

Epic. Kate Beaton headed west [to] one of the world’s most environmentally destructive oil operations, where workers lived in barracks-like camps and men vastly outnumbered women. Her experience there… gave her an insider’s view into a place and piece of Canadian history few outsiders ever see. ― The New York Times

Ducks... is a rebuttal to hierarchies of silence, an attempt to draw attention to forms of suffering that are easier to ignore. ― The New Yorker

What a difficult, gorgeous and abidingly humane book. ― The Guardian

Kate Beaton's exceptionally well-told and well-drawngraphic memoir… full of insights into human and environmental degradation, make[s] her a memoirist of the first rank. ― The Los Angeles Times

Ducks is a bruising and intimate account of survival and exploitation—of both the land and the people who worked on it—and is brought to life by Beaton’s immersive illustrations. In unveiling her plight, Beaton makes stunning observations about the intersections of class, gender, and capitalism. ― TIME

About the Author

Kate Beaton was born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. After graduating from Mount Allison University with a double degree in History and Anthropology, she moved to Alberta in search of work that would allow her to pay down her student loans. During the years she spent out West, Beaton began creating webcomics under the name Hark! A Vagrant, quickly drawing a substantial following around the world.

The collections of her landmark strip Hark! A Vagrant and Step Aside, Pops each spent several months on the New York Times graphic novel bestseller list, as well as appearing on best of the year lists from Time, The Washington Post, Vulture, NPR Books, and winning the Eisner, Ignatz, Harvey, and Doug Wright Awards. She has also published the picture books King Baby and The Princess and the Pony.

Beaton lives in Cape Breton with her family.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Drawn & Quarterly
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 25 2025
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 436 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1770467122
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1770467125
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.15 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
  • Part of Series ‏ : ‎ Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
  • 鶹 Rank: #17,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,383 ratings

About the author

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Kate Beaton

Kate Beaton

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Kate Beaton is a Canadian cartoonist who appeared in the comics scene in 2007 with her online work Hark! A Vagrant! Since then, she has become a fan favourite and has garnered a significant following, with illustrations appearing in places like the New Yorker, Harper’s, and Marvel’s Strange Tales anthology. Her first book with D+Q, Hark! A Vagrant, spent five months on the New York Times bestseller list, and topped best of the year lists from Time, E!, 鶹, and Publishers Weekly. Beaton's cartoons often display a wonderfully light touch on historical and literary topics. The jokes are a knowing look at history through a very modern perspective, and a campaign against anyone with the idea that history is boring.

The Princess and the Pony, Kate's first picture book came out with Scholastic in July 2015 to starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, and many others. In September 2015, her second comic collection Step Aside, Pops, will be released through Drawn and Quarterly.

Kate Beaton lives in Toronto, Canada.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,383 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book brilliant, magnificent, and an absolute page-turner. They describe it as thoughtful, weighted, and despairing. Readers describe the book as emotional, with a lighthearted touch and subtle compassion. They mention it's terrifying, fascinating, and ultimately heartbreaking.

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ContentEmotional
47 customers mention "Content"44 positive3 negative

Customers find the book brilliant, magnificent, and an absolute page turner. They describe it as thoughtful, weighted, despairing, and infuriating. Readers say the book is an eye-opener for many of us, providing an incredible insight into the real lives of blue-collar workers of the Alberta oil sands. They say it's poetic and worth exploring a new genre.

"...less than terrifying, fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking yet beautiful. A serious tour de force...." Read more

"A superb graphic novel - simply amazing." Read more

"Brilliant book, highly recommended" Read more

"...It is funny, nuanced and heartbreaking: a sophisticated story told in a sophisticated way." Read more

8 customers mention "Emotional"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotional, lighthearted, and heartbreaking. They say the author brings a subtle compassion and earnestness to some very serious issues. Readers also say the graphic novel is one of the most intense and complex they have read.

"...oil sands culture while simultaneously understanding and having empathy for the men who end up in it and shaped by it...." Read more

"This graphic novel is one of the most intense and complex I have read...." Read more

"...It could serve as a Masterclass on empathy building...." Read more

"...However it is true, factual, very emotional and hits all the issues. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book...." Read more

Top reviews from Canada

  • Steve
    5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Read
    Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Thoughtful, weighted, despairing, infuriating account that forces you to see the literal truth with the symbolic cry throughout for Katie’s freedom to be as her soul longs to be. A soul-etching longing for freedom to cultivate her own hope.

    Beaton shows life in the oil sands through her own experiences, shedding light on the culture fostered in that environment and the destructive consequences of an industry that cares only for the money it can make on the backs of the people it cares nothing for.

    This story will make you angry, and challenge you to be the person you want to be, while standing for the rights and safety of others.
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  • oystercatcher film and television inc
    5.0 out of 5 stars not an easy read, but a significant story of the oil sands
    Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    A real story of the oil sands. As an older feminist it saddens me to read that the the Canadian male persona still treats women so demeaningly. The author is one brave women and I am glad she wrote this story.
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  • Melissa Moloney
    4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT book!!
    Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Awesome book and super relevant for my line of work. Hard to read at times *trigger warnings* - front cover sheet was bent upon arrival though
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  • Robert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put down. Best graphic novel I've ever read.
    Reviewed in Canada on September 20, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Couldn't put it down. Finished it in less than a week. This book illuminated the potential of graphic novels for me and how they can be so much more than a written work without sacrificing depth.

    The author does a great job of portraying the problematic aspects of the male-dominated oil sands culture while simultaneously understanding and having empathy for the men who end up in it and shaped by it. It strikes the same balance between acknowledging the damage being done to the environment and the indigenous community close by, and the honest motivations of the workers who end up there (from all over Canada, but many from her home on the East Coast) trying to provide a life for their families when economic prospects have dried up at home.

    The whole thing is a incredibly human and incredibly moving and honest snapshot of the oil sands, as well as a reflection on our Canadian culture that all at once criticizes it, enables it, and depends on it, while never looking at it too closely, or bothering to understand the human lives and stories that are most directly impacted by it.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Keelin Nicks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Real, heartfelt, and a truly necessary story with fantastic illustrations
    Reviewed in Canada on September 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    DUCKS is a fantastic read. A unique insight into the experience of a woman in a field dominated by men 50-1. I recommend this book to anyone finding themselves feeling alone and in need of a story of perseverance. This book doesn't shy away from the realities the author and her peers experienced even as what I'm sure is only a fraction of the whole story. This is a necessary piece to add to the fight for equality and a better workplace, and I hope future generations will look at this novel and see the progress made. But in the present, it hits very close to home and sheds light on the progress that needs to be made.

    This book is charming and witty, with beautiful illustrations and dialogue that you can only find from having the experience of working in the oil sands. Ducks will make you laugh just as easily as it grips you in its harsh realities.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lesley Orr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting illustrated story
    Reviewed in Canada on November 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Innovative method of telling a story. The first graphic novel I’ve read. In itself it’s a clever production, but to be honest graphic novels are not for me. Maybe I’m too old.
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  • Archies Baby
    3.0 out of 5 stars INTERESTING...
    Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Did not realize this book would read like a comic book. Drawn characters/dialogue etc. Just couldn't get into it. Donated it to a thrift store.
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  • Gabriel Snyman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic and tragic personal take on the Alberta oil sands
    Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I lived in Fort McMurray for 3 years from 2017 to late 2019. I did not work in the oilsands industry, but as anybody living in FortMac, I got to meet lots of people who worked there and freely and constantly shared their experiences. I think a lot of things changed for the better since the author worked there. When it comes to oil sands company culture as well as society. But she does depict something very accurately, and that is the still prevalent issue of male lonliness and isolation from society in a hunt for money. I have met many lonely and broken men, and the worst ones were indeed those working in the camps. I think her book will give anyone considering a well paying oilsands job a more realistic picture of the sacrifices it entails. I hope it also opens people's eyes to gifts of society we all tend to take for granted.
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Gijs van Hesteren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Personal and universal
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on October 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A wonderful tale of lonely people in an uncaring world. They are smart and dumb, good and bad, but all involved in the pursuit of happiness.
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  • Book Reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant Account
    Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating account of a young woman's journey through two years of bleakness and danger in Canada's tar sands. I was drawn to this graphic novel because of its unusual subject matter and was impressed with its depth and insights -- just who is that is drawn to these places and this kind of life and why? It was even darker than expected as well as one more argument to end fossil fuels -- not only for their contribution to climate change, but because of the extreme damage they do to the environment and to the people who work in this industry and those who live nearby. A beautifully honest work of art.
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  • Scott Mullen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book about the on site conditions in mining
    Reviewed in Australia on April 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This was set in Canada but except for the weather it could be Australian coal or iron ore mines easily - pretty similar conditions and lifestyle when on site
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  • KGBeast
    5.0 out of 5 stars Arbeiten in der fossilen Brennstoffgewinnung - aus ungwohnter Perspektive
    Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    ​Von 2005 bis 2008 - ziemlich direkt nach ihrem Abschluss in Geschichte - suchte Kate Beaton aus Mabou/Cape Breton nach einer Möglichkeit ihre Studienschulden schnell abzubezahlen und da es dazu in ihrem Zuhause keine Stellen gab, bewarb sie sich bei Shell als Magazinverwalterin in einem Fördercamp, wo sie - um Geld zu sparen - auch wohnt.

    Doch das Leben in einem ziemlich isolierten Lager in Alberta als eine der wenigen Frauen unter sehr vielen Männern, erweist sich als fordernder, als Katie dies erwartet hatte. Insbesondere auch deswegen, weil sie bis dahin weitestgehend von männlicher Aufmerksamkeit verschont geblieben war. Und Männer unter den damaligen Lebensbedingungen im Camp werden schnell sehr unangenehm - auch, weil die Firma sich wenig um die geistige und emotionale Gesundheit der Belegschaft schert. Und so macht Katie bei ihren Tätigkeiten in verschiedenen Camps so einige traumatisierende Erfahrungen.

    Diese Erfahrungen bilden den Kern dieser Graphic Novel und auch die Mechanismen mit denen die betroffenen Firmen versuchen solche Probleme aufzufangen und zu regeln - und die Techniken, die die Opfer dieser Umstände zum Kompensieren ihrer Traumata und anderen Belastung, anwenden. Und es werden auch noch andere wichtige Aspekt der Arbeit in den Ölsanden behandelt.

    Mit Katie als Reflektorcharakter bekommen wir einen ganz guten Einblick in die Arbeit in den Sanden und können ihre zunehmende Traumatisierung gut nachvollziehen. Eher ein düsteres Comic aus dem alltäglichen Horror.
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  • Miakd
    5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant narrative
    Reviewed in France on April 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A very well-written graphic novel with depth
    Thanks to Kate Beaton for having the courage to share her story. She manages to develop a point of view all in nuance and humility.
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