The memoir is structured in graphic novel format, switching from World War II era to the 1960-70s. The eras are defined by the use of colour in the more recent times and black and white further in the past. This is due to the influence of black and white photography that is a characteristic of this era. The graphic novel guides the author to feel closer to the author, seeing what she sees in her mind in regards to the memory. It also adds substance to a memory that might be short in Miriam's mind, but the images add weight, and a more accurate description - this is especially applicable when some memories can be heavily based on sight, and to share to the viewer the emotions of the characters when there is not a narrator involved.
An unusual point in the structure is that the protagonist of the memoir, Esther, is not a character inspired my the memoirist but rather her own mother. Miriam, the child who doesn’t quite understand the war happening around her, is the author of the memoir and much more central to the side plot than she is to the main plot.
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/04/18/an-enormous-amount-of-pictures-in-the-studio-with-miriam-katin/
This is a blog looking at Katin's workspace in her home - she talks about how she developed her graphic novels and her inspiration! I recommend checking it out to get a feel of how she went about throwing together We Are On Our Own!
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