Down to the bone [graphic novel] : a leukemia story / Catherine Pioli ; translated by J.T. Mahany.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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 touching 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.)

Booklist Review

When freelance artist Catherine visits a hospital to find answers for her painful sciatica, she instead receives a leukemia diagnosis. And so starts many months of sterile, isolated hospital rooms, medicine regimens, hair and weight loss, awkward conversations, and fear. While the topic is one where seriousness and darkness are common, author Pioli's heartfelt, straightforward storytelling provides much appreciated humor balancing the emotional ride. Lightly sketched environments and backgrounds focus the reader's attention squarely on the characters, their emotions, and their experiences. This lends the portrayal an intimate note as we are right there with Catherine during her surgery or while shaving her head or worrying about her constant exhaustion and underweight frame. Pioli frequently explains the science behind her diagnosis and treatments with clear, accessible text and illustrations. Pages feature the most adorable blast cells (with axes and pacifiers) anyone has ever seen. The book wraps up with the need for donors and how that process works for anyone interested. Overall, readers will find this a highly informative and personal work.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

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.