Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

Taryn's comments:

In graphic novel format, author David Small shares the story of his troubled childhood in Detroit. Small’s parents were cold and distant, especially his mother. Small had respiratory problems from a young age, and his father, a radiologist, believed that repeated X-rays would help improve his son’s health. Unfortunately, the repeated exposure to heavy doses of radiation may have caused Small’s cancer, which he developed years later. His parents kept the fact that he had been diagnosed with cancer from him, and they lied to him about the reasons that he needed throat surgery.  Small woke up from surgery with a vocal cord removed which made him lose the ability to speak above a whisper. In haunting images that convey the intense pain and suffering Small endured, we watch his tragic childhood experiences unfold as if we are watching a movie. The story ends on a hopeful note as Small triumphs over the adversity he has faced. In this memoir, Small has taken his horrible childhood experiences and turned them into a beautiful work of art. 

Graphic/Illustrated Novels, SMA