Stitches

Small, David, Stitches, W.W. Norton & Co., 2009, 329 pgs.

Summary: This novel by David Small is the story of his life as a young child and into his teenage years. As a young child, David had breathing issues and so his father, who was a doctor, used the method at that time to help cure him which was radiation. As David got older it was discovered that he had Cancer and they had to remove some glands in his neck as well as one of his vocal cords. David struggles the whole novel with not having a voice in his family and truly being unable to have a voice once his vocal cord was removed. The complexity of David’s family life I am sure is not unusual of most families, but reading through the point of view of a young child and then a teenager puts a different twist on things. The relationship or lack of relationship that David has with his parents is apparent throughout the entire novel and is something that I think many young adults can still relate to today even though the time period is different.

Evaluation: I found this novel to be a quick read, but not an easy one. The experience of having cancer and not being told that you have cancer strikes me as very difficult to understand. Overall I think graphic novel form was the best form to pull together such a unique story. The type of illustration and language used was very fitting. It really made it clear how David saw his father and the doctors rather than what they may have actually looked like. It was also very interesting to see the illustrated emotions as David couldn’t speak, but still had rage.

Annotation: My vocal cord was gone, I couldn’t talk, and it was all my father’s fault.

Significance of Book: A wonderful example of medicine in the 1950s and illustrated example of surviving an unloving family. A powerful graphic novel showing perseverance and ultimately healing of a childhood trauma.

Genre/subject: non-fiction, biography, graphic novel, cancer

Awards:

National:

• · Alex award: 2010

Why I selected the book: I selected this book because it looks so childish, but is so serious. I have discovered that with many graphic novels, the illustrations are simple because the concept is so powerful.

Price: $15.95