Friday, February 20, 2015

Book Review: Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

I don't read graphic memoirs very often, but I'm always quite pleased when I do. David's is particularly apt as he literally lost his voice for a large number of years. Without his voice, drawing was a key communication for him.

His parents aren't monsters but his mother in particular seemed ill-suited to the role, ruling the house with an iron will and a steely silence. He did not have a happy childhood, although it could have been worse. But his slightly neglectful parents, who seemed to wish he'd just disappear, did neglect for years to attend to a growth on his neck, even after a visitor pointed it out (and his father was a radiologist which makes this neglect even more baffling.) When it finally was addressed, it had gotten bad, and resulted in multiple surgeries (hence, the book's title) and permanent damage to his voice. His parents lied about what it was and about the cause. They didn't understand why David was so angry and he didn't understand why they were so unhappy and had so many secrets (which do come out in the end.)

This book was powerful and riveting. Like most graphic memoirs, it can be read in a couple of hours, but it has stayed with me, haunting me, since I finished it. It may be easy to read but it isn't easy to forget.

I bought this book at a Borders GOOB sale.

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