I just finished probably the most unusual book I’ve ever read, Stitches:  a Memoir by David Small.  At first glance Stitches appears to be a simple comic book with few words.  But spend a slow and contemplative hour with it and you’ll be moved.  It is an eloquent, stark memoir of a boy’s abused childhood, told from a unique perspective. 

David is born with sinus and digestive problems.  His father, a doctor, tries to cure him with repeated large doses of radiation, which causes potentially lethal cancer when he is a teen.  His parents don’t tell him he has cancer and when he wakes up from the operation he is horrified to find a large gash in his neck and that he has lost his voice. The cancer and further hardships cause this poor boy to feel anxious and unloved.  After coming of age and healing, Small reflects back on this period and illustrates it with insight and restraint.  A very artistic, thought provoking work. 

Stitches was on the Falmouth Public School’s 11th grade summer reading list.  In the library, you can find one copy in the teen room (call number Graphic Novels: 741.5 Sma) and another copy on the Staff Picks cart in the upper lobby.