Grace Han on Designing Infinite Country
Grace Han is an associate art director at Riverhead Books, an imprint at Penguin Random House. How she takes us through her process for creating the vibrant cover for Infinite Country.
Infinite Country follows the epic saga of a Colombian family grappling with the trauma of migration. Although they are torn apart by borders, both physical and emotional, they share the same goal: to be together. Alternating accounts give us insight into the struggles and hopes of each family member in their pursuit of a better future. As a reader, I was immediately drawn into the lives of Mauro, Elena, and their children.
Andean folklore, exploring themes of love and loss, is woven into the narrative. Jaguars, condors, snakes—myths and legends centering these animals help make sense of the world this family is thrown into. For the first round, I wanted to incorporate these elements onto the cover.
Despite the textured, collaged pieces, I realized this direction could feel a bit too cold. With the delicate and centered font, it also felt too still and quiet.
So, I worked on bringing more energy to the cover with color and more humanism with hand lettering. However, I don’t think this quite hit the mark. I realized it was important for the cover to reflect the family– fractured but held together by their roots.
Final cover
I think the chosen design best reflects this idea and Patricia Engel’s beautiful prose. I hope the colors bring a sense of warmth while the emerging animals create intrigue.
On a personal note, this project deadline came the week after a loss of a very close friend, Adalis Martinez. She was an extraordinary designer who made her mark at FSG, Harper, Vintage, and Vox. While considering taking time off, I remembered how Ada and I always talked about how exciting it was to create visual introductions to important stories… and Infinite Country is an important story. So, I channeled Ada’s creative spirit throughout the design process and she of course, did not fail me. I’d like to give credit to Adalis Martinez.
Editor, artworker and lifelong bibliophile.