David Small, the award-winning illustrator, had a childhood more bizarre and surreal than any Grimm fairy tale . In his graphic novel memoir, Stitches, he shares with us the experience of growing up in a household led by a taciturn mother whose primary form of communciation included slamming doors and dishes, and a radiologist father whose authoritarian demeanor exuded no emotion for young David, either. Even visits to his maternal grandmother offered little respite; it was clear that the pattern of emotional child abuse and dysfunctional parenting did not begin with David’s mother.
From an early age, David was subjected to his father’s x-ray treatments for respiratory ailments. After several years of treatment followed by an appalling negligence on the part of his parents, it was after what was supposed to be a routine surgery that David awoke to discover one of his vocal cords had been removed. Forced into silence, David delved even further into his beloved art, and did as he always had, finding escape in his imagination. Eventually, he finds a sympathetic and understanding psychiatrist and moves out of the family home.
In the years that follow, David seems to find a way to both forgive and to move on from his past, and it’s obvious that the creation of this memoir was a form of emotional release. Would that all forms of catharsis could be this brilliant and poignant. The illustrations are just as evocative, if not more so, than the words of David’s story, and resonate with distilled emotion. I believe it to be one of the finest examples of the memoir in graphic novel format, a perfect coalescence of two forms of communication, to share one very painful and powerful story with us, the fortunate audience.
Last January, French Milk, another graphic novel, ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. I have a feeling the same may happen in 2010 with Stitches.
Applicable Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library, 100+ Reading Challenge, Graphic Novels Challenge
Book Rating: 5: Excellent. This book has impacted me deeply, or has simply been a pure delight to read.
FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library.
What powerful read. I’ve just dipped my toe in as far as graphic novels are concerned. I’d be interested to read this and see how the memoir holds up in this format…according to your review, it certainly does! I can’t imagine having your vocal cords removed! How ghastly!
I love reading graphic memoirs and in fact, those are mainly the types of graphic novels I read. I’m not sure which graphic novels you have read but I would highly recommend Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
WOW! This is really an amazing (and appalling) tale. It sounds like one I’d like to undertake, and I hope my library has it.
Incidentally, I’m reading French Milk now, and I love it!
I think you would really like it, Andi. And glad to hear you are loving French Milk, too!
OMG – I had no idea about this book. Definitely adding this one to my list. Hopefully my library has it and I can read it for the Graphic Novel challenge. Wasn’t French Milk wonderful? I hope she’ll have another book out soon.
I hope you get a chance to read it, Iliana.
I loved French Milk (and you know it was you listing it as one of your favorites of 2008 that introduced me to it and got me to read the book in the first place) and would definitely read something else by her. I loved the mix of photos and drawings – and of course, the Parisian setting!
What an appalling story! I really enjoy graphic novel memoirs but this one might be too horrible for me. (Maybe?)
What happened to him is terrible, but his story is also fascinating and a redemptive one. I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
What a horrible thought! I’ve never read a graphic novel, but I’d possibly be interested enough to give this a go.
Oh, you really must try graphic novels! I read my first one just a few years ago (Fun Home) and since then they have turned into one of my favorite genres, particularly the graphic memoirs.
Stitches is a real showstopper! It was definitely one of my favorite reads last year- so powerful!
Glad to hear from someone else who read and loved it! Wasn’t his mother something? I like how he included the family photos and a little bit of info at the end.
I have this on hold at the library. I am just waiting for my turn!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!