Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story

by Catherine Pioli, Catherine Pioli (Artist)

Overview

When Catherine is diagnosed with acute leukemia, a deadly form of cancer that attacks the immune system, her life is turned upside down. Young and previously healthy, she now finds herself catapulted into the world of the seriously ill—constantly testing and waiting for results, undergoing endless medical treatments, learning to accept a changing body, communicating with a medical team, and relying on the support of her partner, family, and friends.

 

A professional illustrator, Catherine decides to tell the story of her disease in this graphic novel, and she does so with great sincerity, humor, and rare lucidity. We accompany her though the waiting, the doubts, the fears, and the tears—but also the laughter, the love, and the strong will to live.

 

Rich in emotion, lighthearted, and profound, Down to the Bone is a powerful book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637790342
Publisher:	Graphic Mundi - Psu Press
Publication date:	12/20/2022
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Catherine Pioli was born in 1982. She loved to draw as a child and later enrolled in the School of Applied Arts in Paris. Throughout her career as an illustrator and freelance graphic designer represented by a Paris-based illustration agency, she created content for marketing firms, news outlets, and book and magazine publishers. When she was diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2016, she decided to make a graphic novel about her experience. Sadly, she did not survive her illness, passing away in July 2017. Despite everything, the testament she gives us is full of humanity and hope.

Editorial Reviews

[A] life-affirming graphic novel that ably illustrates not only the medical issues but also the very personal ones that affect a person diagnosed with leukemia. Elegantly translated from the original French by J. T. Mahany, it’s an excellent read for anyone interested in cancer, mortality and life in France.”—Doreen Sheridan, The Frumious Consortium

“There is humor but far more humanity in Pioli’s story about a ‘rare’ cancer, but one that takes away a beautiful life and leaves sorrow in its wake. Pioli’s book helps touch this sweet spot in us all while educating readers about cancer and how they can help.”—Denise Hill, New Pages

“The narrative, the information about leukemia, and the details about her treatment that the book shares all have a sense of hope that made the graphic novel’s abrupt ending, with a short text note about Pioli’s death in 2017, all the more devastating.”—Gene Ambaum, Library Comic

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED) — Corsican artist Pioli records her own leukemia treatment in this gorgeous graphic memoir, published posthumously. After months of pain due to sciatica, which treatments fail to improve, Catherine checks in to a hospital for further tests in 2014. When the doctors discover she has acute lymphocytic leukemia, she’s rushed to chemotherapy. She explains the science behind the disease and treatment (including a concise explanation on preserving her ovary) while also detailing the experiences of bored isolation, drastic weight loss, and cravings for forbidden foods. Treatment progresses, but not as well as doctors would like, leaving Catherine in limbo until they green-light her brother’s bone marrow transplant. Tender moments with her partner Sébastien mingle with humor, like her whimsical haircuts and cheeky reliance on her “leukemia card” to avoid tasks. Pioli places her stylized, full-color characters in lightly outlined backgrounds. Her skills in rendering emotional states and medical symptoms made visible on the page is particularly impressive. Blending precise and educational details about the medicine (and its limits) for cancer care with tender personal vignettes, the work has potential to humanize patient care for practitioners as well as add to the “cancer memoir” genre. It’s a stunning example of what graphic medicine can do. (Dec.)

From the Publisher