Parenthesis (Graphic Novel)

 

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

My Thoughts:

I have seen it many times. Writing and drawing is a form of healing and grieving. This story is Èlodie Durand's own catharsis story of healing and grief and loss of herself. Through epileptic seizures brought on by an undiagnosed tumor, changes in personality, loss of freedom, memory, cognitive function, bodily function, vision and balance issues, Durand has lost years of her young life. However, with her drawings and lots of help from her family, she has come out on the other side. She is finally ready to share that she is still here. She continues working on getting back what she has lost. Most importantly, she has declared herself not fully healed, but free just the same. 

For readers who for whatever reason are in the middle of the dark tunnel, unable to see the end light, this book is for you. I felt for her mother who really understands what sacrifice and parenting adults really means. Her bravery is just as large a part of this story as her daughter's illness. 

From the Publisher:

Judith is barely out of her teens when a tumor begins pressing on her brain, ushering in a new world of seizures, memory gaps, and loss of self. Suddenly, the sentence of her normal life has been interrupted by the opening of a parenthesis that may never close.

Based on the real experiences of cartoonist Élodie Durand, Parenthesis is a gripping testament of struggle, fragility, acceptance, and transformation which was deservedly awarded the Revelation Prize of the Angoulême International Comics Festival.