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Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution
As young girls in Cairo, Anna and Layla strike up an unlikely friendship that crosses class, cultural, and religious divides. Years later, Anna learns that she may carry the hereditary cancer gene responsible for her mother's death. Meanwhile, Layla's family is faced with a difficult decision about kidney transplantation. Their friendship is put to the test when these medical crises reveal stark differences in their perspectives...until revolutionary unrest in Egypt changes their lives forever.
The first book in a new series, Lissa brings anthropological research to life in comic form, combining scholarly insights and accessible, visually-rich storytelling to foster greater understanding of global politics, inequalities, and solidarity.
The first book in a new series, Lissa brings anthropological research to life in comic form, combining scholarly insights and accessible, visually-rich storytelling to foster greater understanding of global politics, inequalities, and solidarity.
304 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2017
33 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
March 31, 2018
The jacket flap touts this as the first book in a new series, “... that realizes ethnographic research in graphic novel form.” Sounds potentially boring, I know, but it's actually pretty cool. Anna and Layla strike up an unlikely friendship as young girls in Cairo. When Anna’s mother dies of cancer, she is forced to return to the US to live, though the two friends promise to stay in touch. In later years, each faces a medical crisis--Anna, the choice of preventive surgery to decrease her chances of sharing her mother's fate; and Layla, her father's kidney failure and refusal to consider a transplant--and their friendship is put to the test due to stark differences in their perspective. And then, in 2011, revolutionary unrest in Egypt changes their lives forever …
The best approach, I think, with this graphic novel, is to ignore all the academic foofaraw. Don't read the jacket flaps. Don't read the text about the ethnoGRAPHIC imprint. Don't read the Afterword and the Appendices. Just read the story. Try not to go into it with a bunch of fears and expectations. You’ll appreciate the story more. Trust me. Yeah, the art is crude but serviceable. But it's still a good story.
All the academic stuff is best appreciated afterward. There is a lot of it. We’re talking Criterion Collection levels of extras here. My favorite bits are probably the discussion of the storytelling, which point out some of the subtler aspects of the artwork and the way in which the story was broken down. If this book is a typical example, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. Recommended!
The best approach, I think, with this graphic novel, is to ignore all the academic foofaraw. Don't read the jacket flaps. Don't read the text about the ethnoGRAPHIC imprint. Don't read the Afterword and the Appendices. Just read the story. Try not to go into it with a bunch of fears and expectations. You’ll appreciate the story more. Trust me. Yeah, the art is crude but serviceable. But it's still a good story.
All the academic stuff is best appreciated afterward. There is a lot of it. We’re talking Criterion Collection levels of extras here. My favorite bits are probably the discussion of the storytelling, which point out some of the subtler aspects of the artwork and the way in which the story was broken down. If this book is a typical example, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. Recommended!
March 20, 2019
Using a graphic medium to study ethnography - a pretty brilliant idea. Lissa is the first of a series called ethnoGRAPHIC, published by the University of Toronto.
The story follows two girls throughout their teenage years and early adulthood - one an Egyptian Muslim daughter of a chaffeur, the other an American expat between their intersecting lives in Cairo, Egypt, and Boston, USA.
Written with the specific purpose of ethnographic and anthropological education, each of the young women face medical challenges and decisions in their families. The reader gets an overview of the culture and politics of organ transplantation in Egypt, treatment and support systems for "previvors" and preventative cancer screening in the US, the cultural questions of how a person reacts when they receive medical news, and the belief system around medical interventions to preserve or prolong life.
Placed in 2011 with the backdrop of the Tahrir Square uprising, it seemed like the writers were trying to do a little too much in this story. The passage of time and perspective shift was not always clear between panels.
Hamdy's research appears to focus on organ transplantation in Egypt (and possibly other areas in the Middle East and). That was fascinating, and the story would have been stronger had it focused more on a specific topic rather than introducing too many.
The story follows two girls throughout their teenage years and early adulthood - one an Egyptian Muslim daughter of a chaffeur, the other an American expat between their intersecting lives in Cairo, Egypt, and Boston, USA.
Written with the specific purpose of ethnographic and anthropological education, each of the young women face medical challenges and decisions in their families. The reader gets an overview of the culture and politics of organ transplantation in Egypt, treatment and support systems for "previvors" and preventative cancer screening in the US, the cultural questions of how a person reacts when they receive medical news, and the belief system around medical interventions to preserve or prolong life.
Placed in 2011 with the backdrop of the Tahrir Square uprising, it seemed like the writers were trying to do a little too much in this story. The passage of time and perspective shift was not always clear between panels.
Hamdy's research appears to focus on organ transplantation in Egypt (and possibly other areas in the Middle East and). That was fascinating, and the story would have been stronger had it focused more on a specific topic rather than introducing too many.
January 14, 2018
As a reader, this is a moving and beautifully constructed comic bridging two cultures, medical traumas, and revolution itself.
As a scholar/teacher, this is exactly the sort of work I believe we need in graphic medicine (or other graphic disciplines). The story can be approached by anyone, but it also can be pulled apart and discussed in depth from any number of points of entry. In particular, the illustrations about genetic testing and patents are lesson in themselves. The authors also provide commentary, interviews, explorations of how and why they chose the comic medium, discussion questions, and enough further reading suggestions that a short undergrad course could be built on them alone.
With Lissa, the creators have set a new standard for academically oriented comics.
As a scholar/teacher, this is exactly the sort of work I believe we need in graphic medicine (or other graphic disciplines). The story can be approached by anyone, but it also can be pulled apart and discussed in depth from any number of points of entry. In particular, the illustrations about genetic testing and patents are lesson in themselves. The authors also provide commentary, interviews, explorations of how and why they chose the comic medium, discussion questions, and enough further reading suggestions that a short undergrad course could be built on them alone.
With Lissa, the creators have set a new standard for academically oriented comics.
February 16, 2019
What an interesting book, and what a fascinating way to make ones research more accessible outside of the academia. The story is set primarily in Cairo and the US. It's a story of two girls--Layla, who is the daughter of a bawab in Cairo, and is studying to be a doctor, and Anna--whose American father works for an oil company in Egypt and whose mother has recently died of breast cancer. Anna fears the gene for the cancer is also in her, and explores the option of getting a preventive mastectomy. Meanwhile, Layla's father has kidney disease, and there is a revolution brewing in Egypt. The story points towards some of the differing ideas people/communities have towards health, well-being, organ donation, and the body, while also highlighting how these health challenges are happening in a period of global environmental change, corporate greed, toxic waste, and the decline of the welfare state. I appreciated the representation of the hope and ultimate challenges facing the Egyptian revolution, and the unique way in which the authors invited actual graffiti artists to contribute to the graphic novel. There is a lot of nuance and thought put into this text, which I think especially makes it valuable for students to engage with.
October 8, 2024
i had to read this for my arab society class, and im so glad i did because it was brilliant. beautiful representation of medical trauma, friendship, desperation, and hope. half of my reading journey was me fighting back tears and the other half was me regretting i didnt get to read this sooner. the representation of religion and culture in the egyptian context was too accurate that i was 99% sure i've heard all these conversations before.
the unfolding of the revolution, the excitement, the bravery, the doing whatever it takes. but also how it all died down after drastic escalation, what used to be hope was quickly replaced with deflation. the feeling like you've been thrown into a big lie.
when you read what you've experienced first hand and what has impacted your family for years makes you feel weird inside, but also warm in the sense that it happened, and you were there.
but what i do now recognize that even with how painful it all was, there's an emphasis on 'lissa', a pause, a thread of hope that lingers. that is what i loved most about this.
finally, the 'lets have tea' or 'lets go on a walk, it's a beautiful day' that follows a hard/painful day was so so touching. layla and anna are beautiful. i loved this. so much.
the unfolding of the revolution, the excitement, the bravery, the doing whatever it takes. but also how it all died down after drastic escalation, what used to be hope was quickly replaced with deflation. the feeling like you've been thrown into a big lie.
when you read what you've experienced first hand and what has impacted your family for years makes you feel weird inside, but also warm in the sense that it happened, and you were there.
but what i do now recognize that even with how painful it all was, there's an emphasis on 'lissa', a pause, a thread of hope that lingers. that is what i loved most about this.
finally, the 'lets have tea' or 'lets go on a walk, it's a beautiful day' that follows a hard/painful day was so so touching. layla and anna are beautiful. i loved this. so much.
May 15, 2023
I was about 10 years old when the Egyptian Revolution began and have a few distinct memories from that time. This book is well written and captivating, but most importantly it helped me understand the timeline of the revolution.
The Art depicted in this books is beautiful and I’m glad the authors chose to collaborate and commemorate some of the best egyptian artists out there.
The Art depicted in this books is beautiful and I’m glad the authors chose to collaborate and commemorate some of the best egyptian artists out there.
June 4, 2018
This is as close to the perfect book as I have ever read. I say this as someone who writes on comics & religion, who is doing research on comics & cancer, who is a convert to Islam, and is a Caucasian American. I know not everyone shares my demographics and my interests, but, if I can't praise LISSA, then who can?
It's a daring, beautiful, intelligent, and enriching book, touching on so many urgent topics (primarily, the ethnography of the Arab Spring in Cairo but also cancer research, preventative medicine, friendship, politics, sexism, loss, patriotism, etc.) with such skill, not to mention art. The collaboration between Hamdy, Nye, Bao, Brewer, and Parenteau is a wonder. Upon first read of LISSA, I'm, frankly, in awe, and I plan to reread it again as soon as I can regain a critical vantage point.
Until then, I'm going to shout from my little soapbox: This is a *must-read*. I love that I finally had a chance to savor it particularly during Ramadan, and I think it will strike people of all faiths and of a variety of circumstances deeply.
It's a daring, beautiful, intelligent, and enriching book, touching on so many urgent topics (primarily, the ethnography of the Arab Spring in Cairo but also cancer research, preventative medicine, friendship, politics, sexism, loss, patriotism, etc.) with such skill, not to mention art. The collaboration between Hamdy, Nye, Bao, Brewer, and Parenteau is a wonder. Upon first read of LISSA, I'm, frankly, in awe, and I plan to reread it again as soon as I can regain a critical vantage point.
Until then, I'm going to shout from my little soapbox: This is a *must-read*. I love that I finally had a chance to savor it particularly during Ramadan, and I think it will strike people of all faiths and of a variety of circumstances deeply.
September 26, 2025
I originally would’ve rated this one star but the notes and interviews that happened after the graphic novel brought it up to two for me.
The graphic novel
It was my first time reading an ethnography as a graphic novel. The concept itself is pretty interesting and I would say the artists made really interesting use of the panels. For example, when medical discussions were taking place a lot of the objects, words, etc would float outside the panels or move across the pages unconfined. So, a really interesting way to depict that medical decisions and conditions transcend the individual.
The rest of the novel falls flat for me because of Anna’s character and having it exist alongside Layla. First, while mentioned briefly at the start of the novel about the cost of Anna’s treatment, it doesn’t really weigh on her at all that she is able to afford this because of the work her father does in Egypt. Work that Layla’s brother rightfully calls out as exploitative of the land and the people. That’s given a page or so and the story moves past it. However, I would be able to move past this and perhaps give an excuse to the authors that they didn’t want to spell it out for us. Except for the role that Anna takes in the revolution. Anna takes on the job of locating missing persons… a role that Alia Mossallam did in real life… an act that an Egyptian woman did in real life and instead allocated the role to an “American girl”. To add more insult to injury the authors knew this and actually acknowledge that it was based off of Alia. Why was Anna given such a huge role and involvement in our revolution? And was the fact that she benefits off of the labor of Egyptians not critiqued more intensely? I’m just left a bit confused about how the authors wanted us to engage with this character.
The interviews
I loved the interviews with the authors. It’s clear how deeply they are aware of bioethical issues and how approaches to health tend to be individualized and westernized. There’s also a lot of reflection about orientalist literature and depiction of Arab Muslims attitudes towards health. The discussions about autonomy really stuck out to me since I was writing my thesis on Arab muslim women and intimate health while reading this. I wish more of those sensitivities came through when writing this novel.
The interviews and the process of creating a graphic novel with a team was also really interesting.
Read this novel throughout the summer while I wrapped up my practicum, wrote my thesis and traveled around. Finished it earlier today while donating blood. Need to tell my professor about my thoughts on this since he’s the one who suggested I read this in the first place
The graphic novel
It was my first time reading an ethnography as a graphic novel. The concept itself is pretty interesting and I would say the artists made really interesting use of the panels. For example, when medical discussions were taking place a lot of the objects, words, etc would float outside the panels or move across the pages unconfined. So, a really interesting way to depict that medical decisions and conditions transcend the individual.
The rest of the novel falls flat for me because of Anna’s character and having it exist alongside Layla. First, while mentioned briefly at the start of the novel about the cost of Anna’s treatment, it doesn’t really weigh on her at all that she is able to afford this because of the work her father does in Egypt. Work that Layla’s brother rightfully calls out as exploitative of the land and the people. That’s given a page or so and the story moves past it. However, I would be able to move past this and perhaps give an excuse to the authors that they didn’t want to spell it out for us. Except for the role that Anna takes in the revolution. Anna takes on the job of locating missing persons… a role that Alia Mossallam did in real life… an act that an Egyptian woman did in real life and instead allocated the role to an “American girl”. To add more insult to injury the authors knew this and actually acknowledge that it was based off of Alia. Why was Anna given such a huge role and involvement in our revolution? And was the fact that she benefits off of the labor of Egyptians not critiqued more intensely? I’m just left a bit confused about how the authors wanted us to engage with this character.
The interviews
I loved the interviews with the authors. It’s clear how deeply they are aware of bioethical issues and how approaches to health tend to be individualized and westernized. There’s also a lot of reflection about orientalist literature and depiction of Arab Muslims attitudes towards health. The discussions about autonomy really stuck out to me since I was writing my thesis on Arab muslim women and intimate health while reading this. I wish more of those sensitivities came through when writing this novel.
The interviews and the process of creating a graphic novel with a team was also really interesting.
Read this novel throughout the summer while I wrapped up my practicum, wrote my thesis and traveled around. Finished it earlier today while donating blood. Need to tell my professor about my thoughts on this since he’s the one who suggested I read this in the first place
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
This is the final text which I read for my English course.
This is a phenomenal piece of work that really struck with me on multiple ends. In my opinion, the idea of utilizing the graphic novel for an ethnographic piece of work is so so clever but at the same time so tricky to execute in a way which engages the reader. However, the creators of this work did a brilliant job at conveying a hefty message in such an effective manner.
There's a lot I could discuss about this graphic novel and why I love it so much, but ultimately I think that why I rate it so highly, is because of the way in which the topics portrayed (i.e., Islam, the field of medicine, revolution, family etc) are ones which I hold close to my heart. These are topics which I find myself constantly intrigued by and I think that it's so poetic that this is the final piece of work which I am dealing with as I conclude my undergraduate degree in health sciences as well as philosophy and political science. Throughout my studies I've often found myself feeling disillusioned with how practical the concepts I am learning are, however this text served as a critical reminder for me on how there is truly a practical sense to what I am learning.
All-in-all this is a phenomenal piece of work which I would highly recommend to anyone!
This is a phenomenal piece of work that really struck with me on multiple ends. In my opinion, the idea of utilizing the graphic novel for an ethnographic piece of work is so so clever but at the same time so tricky to execute in a way which engages the reader. However, the creators of this work did a brilliant job at conveying a hefty message in such an effective manner.
There's a lot I could discuss about this graphic novel and why I love it so much, but ultimately I think that why I rate it so highly, is because of the way in which the topics portrayed (i.e., Islam, the field of medicine, revolution, family etc) are ones which I hold close to my heart. These are topics which I find myself constantly intrigued by and I think that it's so poetic that this is the final piece of work which I am dealing with as I conclude my undergraduate degree in health sciences as well as philosophy and political science. Throughout my studies I've often found myself feeling disillusioned with how practical the concepts I am learning are, however this text served as a critical reminder for me on how there is truly a practical sense to what I am learning.
All-in-all this is a phenomenal piece of work which I would highly recommend to anyone!
April 12, 2018
Lissa is a fascinating combination of academic research presented through a narrative graphic novel. It's an intriguing way of trying to make scholarly work more accessible, though I think this particular book failed a bit both as a good reflection of the academic research, but also as a compelling narrative. Though the creators were obviously trying to avoid putting out a 1000 page book, there needed to be a bit more depth to make either aspect of the comic memorable. However, admirable efforts and still a good read!
June 23, 2023
so so amazing! beautiful storytelling + illustrations - I really liked the incorporation of street graffiti into some of the panels
December 10, 2024
Would really really like to read some other books from the ethnoGRAPHIC series… very powerful
November 13, 2024
Had to read this for class- def not bad but I wouldn’t chose to read it
June 24, 2022
The message is great, I can't find anything I didn't like about the book, but I didn't connect with the characters that much.
March 11, 2024
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Lovely way to use a graphic novel to express ethnographic research.
May 25, 2024
the story was really underdeveloped
I wish we saw more of the characters and spent more time with them. I wish we got to see more of their lives and their decisions.
I wish we saw more of the characters and spent more time with them. I wish we got to see more of their lives and their decisions.
April 1, 2020
Modern, cultural, research-based, critical, peer-reviewed, creative, and cross-disciplinary. A great example of collaboration across disciplines, especially with the graffiti artist Ganzeer.
It doesn't talk down, judge or tip-toe around the tensions between healthcare, government and Islam in Egypt.
It doesn't talk down, judge or tip-toe around the tensions between healthcare, government and Islam in Egypt.
December 18, 2017
it's a very interesting, very unexpected graphic novel about medical decision making set during the egyptian revolution. i just think it could have gone a bit deeper re: the medical decision making stuff as sherine hamdy is an academic and this is her area.
January 15, 2021
When I first started teaching I wasn’t a big fan of graphic novels, slowly I saw their benefit for struggling readers, and eventually I came to appreciate them as an enhanced tweak in story telling for everyone. This book however takes the concept to the next level, for me anyway. As the inside flap claims, it is a book “that brings anthropological research to life in comic form, combining scholarly insights and accessible, visually-rich storytelling to foster greater understanding of global politics, inequalities, and solidarity.” As a coming of age story of two friends at its core, yet taking on breast cancer, kidney failure, parental loss, different cultures, different religions and with a back drop of the Egyptian revolution, I’d say the book is meant for high school and up. Not so much for content as for understanding and appreciation of all that went it to creating this ethnographic book.
SYNOPSIS:
Unlikely friends Anna and Layla cross economic, religious, and cultural differences to build a life long friendship. The book is divided into three parts: Cairo, Five Years Later, and Revolution. In the first part we see Layla’s family serving as the caretakers of a building and the two young girls bonding over pranks, arrogant tenants, and just being silly. Anna’s family is American and the father works for the oil companies, thus they are financially very well off, however, the father is rather distant and the mother is dying of cancer. The section concludes with the passing of Anna’s mom and the family going to Boston for the funeral.
Five years later finds the girls in college. Layla in medical school and Anna at a university in Boston. Layla’s father is suffering from renal failure and is unwilling to consider a transplant. While Anna is trying to see if she carries the same genes as her mother and if insurance will cover it. She also has to decide if she would want to have a complete double mastectomy, if she would want her breasts reconstructed, if she should do it now or later. She gets a lot of opinions, but ultimately decides to find a way to pay for it and have it done. Her father doesn’t understand, and Layla dismisses it forcing Anna to have to handle it alone. But when news come that Layla’s father isn’t going to make it, she rushes back to Egypt to offer her support.
In the final section, the revolution has spread and Dr. Layla is helping those injured in Tahrir Square during the protests, and Anna is helping to identify bodies despite being attacked for being a foreigner and part of the problem. Anna has kept the secret of her mastectomy from Layla and Layla assumes she has cancer. At odds with their roles in the revolution, and with keeping secrets from each other and their differences in financial opportunities coming to a head, Anna returns to Boston. When Layla’s brother is shot and loses an eye, however, Anna returns to Egypt and the two friends work to keep their relationship.
IMG_8951
WHY I LIKE IT:
The book is grounded in so much conflict and turmoil, but fights hard to keep a character based narrative. With two illustrators and two authors trying to convey medical approaches, two cultures, two religion, two friends, and a revolution, the last 70 pages of the 302 page book are details about how the book came about, interviews with the various contributors, a timeline of the revolution, discussion questions, key references and a teaching guide. The book at times was confusing to me, and I’m not sure why, it quickly resolved itself or a flip back a few pages would clarify it, but I think some of the illustrations were just off enough that it complicated things. Anna by and large is depicted oddly on a few pages along with her family as well.
IMG_8950
Layla’s family is definitely religious and at times has to challenge their thoughts to understand Anna and their own circumstances too. I think it is handled really well and allows the reader to consider things without answers being clear cut, is it Allah’s will to not have a transplant and accept death as being written for you or to have the transplant and ask Allah to make it successful? By and large the book poses questions through the juxtaposition of the two characters and the experiences they endure, and while it shows the choices they made, it draws the reader in to wonder what they would do in their shoes without judgement. The book provides a lot of facts and leaves them there making it more thought provoking than a simple story.
The characters are often composites of real characters the academic author’s learned about, yet some are directly based on activists and leaders of the revolution. The graffiti artwork is attributed and powerful. There is a lot of information in the notes after the comics end.
FLAGS:
There is death and revolution, Layla’s brother is taking Tramadol, and their are sketches of breasts as Anna learns about her disease and prognosis.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I wouldn’t do this as a book club as I don’t know how much middle schoolers would get out of it and the book is pretty pricey. I would recommend people read it though as it gives a different perspective on numerous things many of us take for granted.
SYNOPSIS:
Unlikely friends Anna and Layla cross economic, religious, and cultural differences to build a life long friendship. The book is divided into three parts: Cairo, Five Years Later, and Revolution. In the first part we see Layla’s family serving as the caretakers of a building and the two young girls bonding over pranks, arrogant tenants, and just being silly. Anna’s family is American and the father works for the oil companies, thus they are financially very well off, however, the father is rather distant and the mother is dying of cancer. The section concludes with the passing of Anna’s mom and the family going to Boston for the funeral.
Five years later finds the girls in college. Layla in medical school and Anna at a university in Boston. Layla’s father is suffering from renal failure and is unwilling to consider a transplant. While Anna is trying to see if she carries the same genes as her mother and if insurance will cover it. She also has to decide if she would want to have a complete double mastectomy, if she would want her breasts reconstructed, if she should do it now or later. She gets a lot of opinions, but ultimately decides to find a way to pay for it and have it done. Her father doesn’t understand, and Layla dismisses it forcing Anna to have to handle it alone. But when news come that Layla’s father isn’t going to make it, she rushes back to Egypt to offer her support.
In the final section, the revolution has spread and Dr. Layla is helping those injured in Tahrir Square during the protests, and Anna is helping to identify bodies despite being attacked for being a foreigner and part of the problem. Anna has kept the secret of her mastectomy from Layla and Layla assumes she has cancer. At odds with their roles in the revolution, and with keeping secrets from each other and their differences in financial opportunities coming to a head, Anna returns to Boston. When Layla’s brother is shot and loses an eye, however, Anna returns to Egypt and the two friends work to keep their relationship.
IMG_8951
WHY I LIKE IT:
The book is grounded in so much conflict and turmoil, but fights hard to keep a character based narrative. With two illustrators and two authors trying to convey medical approaches, two cultures, two religion, two friends, and a revolution, the last 70 pages of the 302 page book are details about how the book came about, interviews with the various contributors, a timeline of the revolution, discussion questions, key references and a teaching guide. The book at times was confusing to me, and I’m not sure why, it quickly resolved itself or a flip back a few pages would clarify it, but I think some of the illustrations were just off enough that it complicated things. Anna by and large is depicted oddly on a few pages along with her family as well.
IMG_8950
Layla’s family is definitely religious and at times has to challenge their thoughts to understand Anna and their own circumstances too. I think it is handled really well and allows the reader to consider things without answers being clear cut, is it Allah’s will to not have a transplant and accept death as being written for you or to have the transplant and ask Allah to make it successful? By and large the book poses questions through the juxtaposition of the two characters and the experiences they endure, and while it shows the choices they made, it draws the reader in to wonder what they would do in their shoes without judgement. The book provides a lot of facts and leaves them there making it more thought provoking than a simple story.
The characters are often composites of real characters the academic author’s learned about, yet some are directly based on activists and leaders of the revolution. The graffiti artwork is attributed and powerful. There is a lot of information in the notes after the comics end.
FLAGS:
There is death and revolution, Layla’s brother is taking Tramadol, and their are sketches of breasts as Anna learns about her disease and prognosis.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I wouldn’t do this as a book club as I don’t know how much middle schoolers would get out of it and the book is pretty pricey. I would recommend people read it though as it gives a different perspective on numerous things many of us take for granted.
September 24, 2017
Upon first glance, LISSA comes off as the sort of book that I would not at all be interested in. For one, the art style isn’t the type that typically attracts me, because it is the sort of style that one would generally associate with books geared to a much younger audience. Secondly, the book, upon first glance, seems to deal with the Egyptian revolution in some fashion. This isn’t in itself a bad thing, but because the Egyptian revolution is too grand and important a topic, I find that most graphic novels that have dealt with it in the past have done so rather poorly. Understandable given the weight of the subject matter which demands quite a lot from anyone attempting to tackle it. Thirdly, the book is published by the University of Toronto Press, a publisher of academic books. Since graphic novels aren’t exactly their specialty, I suppose there is the tendency from the average comix reader to assume that these people couldn’t possibly know the first thing about publishing a quality graphic novel and would, very likely, produce something that is quite subpar. Fourthly, I had never heard of any of the creators responsible for producing the book, and so assumed they probably wouldn’t know the first thing about creating a graphic novel either.
I must say, I was wrong an all accounts. I started reading the book and I could not for the life of me put it down. I started reading it in the morning, and did not put it down before finishing it that very evening, after one long uninterrupted sitting. My, what a masterpiece!
The story follows Anna, the daughter of an American expat in Cairo who works for a multinational oil company. Anna’s mother is suffering from Stage 4 cancer, a terribly difficult time for young Anna whose only real comfort can be found through her best friend, Layla, the daughter of the building’s caretaker. A most beautiful and ultimately unusual friendship given the differences in class, race, and culture. By the time Anna must leave Cairo for college in the US, her mom has already passed and she has developed a fear of inheriting the breast cancer gene herself.
Years pass, and the Egyptian revolution breaks out. At this point, Layla is a med student already dealing with the complexities of classism at Cairo University’s med school. She volunteers for the makeshift clinics tending to the protestors wounded by the regime’s heavy-handed response. Anna, still in touch with her childhood friend, is compelled to return to Cairo and try to help the cause. Anna sees people actively sacrificing their bodies for a greater cause, while she is considering obliterating part of her own body as a preventative measure against getting breast cancer, for which she discovers she does in fact have the gene.
And that doesn’t even cover half of it. The story, through Anna and Layla’s friendship, and through the relationship each one has with their own family and society at large, all against the backdrop of the Egyptian revolution becomes an examination of cultural differences as well as cultural intersectionality. It’s a book about hope and sacrifice, and the effects of capitalism, not just on societies but also on modern medicine, and the environment. Such a complex work that somehow ends up becoming nothing less of a piercing examination of life itself in the 21st century.
A truly groundbreaking masterpiece that should be required reading for every human being alive.
(A note on the art: The art may come off as deceivingly weak, but upon a close reading, one finds that the art actually does a superb job at communicating all the emotional complexities inherent in the story, and as such it becomes difficult to deem the art as anything but effective. Which indeed makes it powerful.)
Bravo and thanks to all the creators involved. True unsung masters of the graphic novel medium.
I must say, I was wrong an all accounts. I started reading the book and I could not for the life of me put it down. I started reading it in the morning, and did not put it down before finishing it that very evening, after one long uninterrupted sitting. My, what a masterpiece!
The story follows Anna, the daughter of an American expat in Cairo who works for a multinational oil company. Anna’s mother is suffering from Stage 4 cancer, a terribly difficult time for young Anna whose only real comfort can be found through her best friend, Layla, the daughter of the building’s caretaker. A most beautiful and ultimately unusual friendship given the differences in class, race, and culture. By the time Anna must leave Cairo for college in the US, her mom has already passed and she has developed a fear of inheriting the breast cancer gene herself.
Years pass, and the Egyptian revolution breaks out. At this point, Layla is a med student already dealing with the complexities of classism at Cairo University’s med school. She volunteers for the makeshift clinics tending to the protestors wounded by the regime’s heavy-handed response. Anna, still in touch with her childhood friend, is compelled to return to Cairo and try to help the cause. Anna sees people actively sacrificing their bodies for a greater cause, while she is considering obliterating part of her own body as a preventative measure against getting breast cancer, for which she discovers she does in fact have the gene.
And that doesn’t even cover half of it. The story, through Anna and Layla’s friendship, and through the relationship each one has with their own family and society at large, all against the backdrop of the Egyptian revolution becomes an examination of cultural differences as well as cultural intersectionality. It’s a book about hope and sacrifice, and the effects of capitalism, not just on societies but also on modern medicine, and the environment. Such a complex work that somehow ends up becoming nothing less of a piercing examination of life itself in the 21st century.
A truly groundbreaking masterpiece that should be required reading for every human being alive.
(A note on the art: The art may come off as deceivingly weak, but upon a close reading, one finds that the art actually does a superb job at communicating all the emotional complexities inherent in the story, and as such it becomes difficult to deem the art as anything but effective. Which indeed makes it powerful.)
Bravo and thanks to all the creators involved. True unsung masters of the graphic novel medium.
April 6, 2019
Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution is a graphic novel following two girls, one American and one Egyptian, as they grow up, choose careers, and lose family members. Although the story is fictional, it combines anthropological research about American and Egyptian healthcare cultures with the story of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. This unique concept (ethnography via graphic novel) is the first in a series called ethnoGRAPHIC from the University of Toronto Press.
The story opens with the friendship between Anna (the daughter of an American businessman) and the bawab’s daughter Layla. The bawab, or doorman, is at the very bottom of the Egyptian social classes, and Anna’s association with Layla is frowned upon by the upper-class residents of the building. But the girls don’t care. They remain close even after Anna’s mother dies. She is sent to a boarding school in the US but returns every summer to visit her dad and see Layla.
The story of Layla and Anna’s friendship is enough to make this book a worthwhile read, but it has so many additional layers that make it even better.
One of these layers is the medical layer. Anna’s mother dies of breast cancer. When she is old enough and can be tested for the BRCA1 gene, she has to reckon with the multiplicity of issues that come with that decision. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Layla’s father is suffering from kidney failure and refuses to consider a transplant even though a family member has offered to be a donor. The book uses the different characters’ approaches to medical treatments to discuss the two cultures’ understandings of the body and medicine.
Yet another layer is that the latter portion of the book takes place during the 2011 revolution, and it provides a great introduction to the events of that year.
This story is also about poverty and the way that that translates into a lack of preventative medical care. Layla is in medical school with more well-to-do students who criminalize poverty and rail against their “ignorant peasant” patients behind their backs.
I lived in Egypt for years, and I was there during the 2011 revolution. I found this book to be spot-on in terms of accurately representing life there, including the events of 2011 and, unfortunately, attitudes toward the poor. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Egypt, the Arab spring, or how medical attitudes differ across cultures.
The story opens with the friendship between Anna (the daughter of an American businessman) and the bawab’s daughter Layla. The bawab, or doorman, is at the very bottom of the Egyptian social classes, and Anna’s association with Layla is frowned upon by the upper-class residents of the building. But the girls don’t care. They remain close even after Anna’s mother dies. She is sent to a boarding school in the US but returns every summer to visit her dad and see Layla.
The story of Layla and Anna’s friendship is enough to make this book a worthwhile read, but it has so many additional layers that make it even better.
One of these layers is the medical layer. Anna’s mother dies of breast cancer. When she is old enough and can be tested for the BRCA1 gene, she has to reckon with the multiplicity of issues that come with that decision. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Layla’s father is suffering from kidney failure and refuses to consider a transplant even though a family member has offered to be a donor. The book uses the different characters’ approaches to medical treatments to discuss the two cultures’ understandings of the body and medicine.
Yet another layer is that the latter portion of the book takes place during the 2011 revolution, and it provides a great introduction to the events of that year.
This story is also about poverty and the way that that translates into a lack of preventative medical care. Layla is in medical school with more well-to-do students who criminalize poverty and rail against their “ignorant peasant” patients behind their backs.
I lived in Egypt for years, and I was there during the 2011 revolution. I found this book to be spot-on in terms of accurately representing life there, including the events of 2011 and, unfortunately, attitudes toward the poor. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Egypt, the Arab spring, or how medical attitudes differ across cultures.
February 10, 2022
Lissa has been a thought-provoking and engaging novel to read. It made productive and effective use of the graphic novel format to present their anthropological research and interview data in an accessible way. The meticulous grasp of Islamic culture in the book has truly reflected the authors’ profound understanding of the events. Each aspect of the book, from the illustrations to the protagonists’ characters is eloquent and commendable. In reading about the characters, Anna and Layla may seem very different due to their socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. However, the obstacles that both characters face throughout the story remind us that the characters are not so different after all. Regardless of your background, socioeconomic situation, culture, problems that Anna and Layla have experienced would also occur to us in some shape or form. In addition, although Anna and Layla have had disparate perceptions and opinions on the same topics, their differences eventually are resolved through their strong friendship and the graphic novel eventually ends on a note of hope from the protagonists' mutual and shared struggles. Anna inspires us by saying "Our scars tell the story of where we’ve been and remind us of how far we still have to go. We still have so much to fight for." (p.232), emphasising the importance of persistence and hardship when fighting for change, inspiring everyone to never give up.
October 20, 2018
I was very hopeful about this book as I picked it up at a local Half Price Books. I enjoy looking for graphic novels that embark on a journey of humanity. This one, however, tried too hard.
Honestly, I wanted to like it. I wanted it to be powerful and changing, and I think the authors intended it to as well, but it is simply so poorly executed that readers stomp through without feeling moved. There is no a speck of natural empathy the book creates for readers that the Egyptian revolution wouldn't already spark.
It also is disguised as a coming of age story in the realm of cancer, and the protagonist must deal with mortality and death in by cancer in a metaphorical sense as the revolution. Unfortunately, the metaphor is overdone, weak, and feels very fake. Where so many graphic artists speak from their experiences this is just a poorly drawn story. It doesn't work.
The art is also exceptionally poorly done. There are few panels that I even enjoyed studying and thinking about. Everything just seems out of place.
I can appreciate the awareness the graphic novel is trying to illustrate, but it does such a poor job that ultimately it almost becomes unreadable.
Honestly, I wanted to like it. I wanted it to be powerful and changing, and I think the authors intended it to as well, but it is simply so poorly executed that readers stomp through without feeling moved. There is no a speck of natural empathy the book creates for readers that the Egyptian revolution wouldn't already spark.
It also is disguised as a coming of age story in the realm of cancer, and the protagonist must deal with mortality and death in by cancer in a metaphorical sense as the revolution. Unfortunately, the metaphor is overdone, weak, and feels very fake. Where so many graphic artists speak from their experiences this is just a poorly drawn story. It doesn't work.
The art is also exceptionally poorly done. There are few panels that I even enjoyed studying and thinking about. Everything just seems out of place.
I can appreciate the awareness the graphic novel is trying to illustrate, but it does such a poor job that ultimately it almost becomes unreadable.
May 14, 2018
Lissa is wonderful and the story is only half the reason why.
Lissa represents the first of a ‘ethnographic’ series: a combination of classic anthropological ethnography and graphic novels. The plot of Lissa is fictional and yet it is not. The narratives in this novel are informed by research and pull from either shared political experiences or common cultural sentiments. It’s something of compounded character story, which is a tactic that De Leon (Land of Open Graves) and Alice Goffman (On the Run) have used to keep their informants safe while reporting the conditions they live in.
In the case of Lissa, it’s clear that it’s not only about keeping people safe but also about keeping the audience engaged while dropping facts or world views in the dialogue. The tension between the two main character’s resources and perspectives around health will hopefully challenge open minded readers.
You’re going to want to read the introduction and ending chapters on the production of the book, otherwise you’re missing out on a large chunk of knowledge from this project.
Lissa represents the first of a ‘ethnographic’ series: a combination of classic anthropological ethnography and graphic novels. The plot of Lissa is fictional and yet it is not. The narratives in this novel are informed by research and pull from either shared political experiences or common cultural sentiments. It’s something of compounded character story, which is a tactic that De Leon (Land of Open Graves) and Alice Goffman (On the Run) have used to keep their informants safe while reporting the conditions they live in.
In the case of Lissa, it’s clear that it’s not only about keeping people safe but also about keeping the audience engaged while dropping facts or world views in the dialogue. The tension between the two main character’s resources and perspectives around health will hopefully challenge open minded readers.
You’re going to want to read the introduction and ending chapters on the production of the book, otherwise you’re missing out on a large chunk of knowledge from this project.
April 30, 2022
I was assigned this book in my Cultural Anthropology class and at times, still think back to the night before our take-home exam was due where I crushed Lissa in one, swift sitting (it being a graphic novel made this convenient). This book spoke so powerfully to cultural relativism, biomedical injustices, body politics and violence, especially for the fact that the two protagonists are young adults. Even without a background in anthropology and familiarity with some of the concepts mentioned in this novel, this book illustrates important social concepts in a seamless, direct fashion, free of confusing jargon and sugar-coating. Despite this being a course reading, this book is one of the most unforgettable that I have read as of late.
Learning that this is how both authors decided to present their fieldwork and research is especially amazing; I think it is about time academia invites alternative, more accessible forms of presenting information! I especially hope to see more academic material presented in this way.
Learning that this is how both authors decided to present their fieldwork and research is especially amazing; I think it is about time academia invites alternative, more accessible forms of presenting information! I especially hope to see more academic material presented in this way.
January 31, 2023
An essential book that I would recommend teachers take into the classroom. Beautiful art, storytelling, and a foreword and afterword with detailed and engaging information. I truly believe in these sorts of work to present science, human geography, and the like in such a way that they are meant to be shown: with wonder and grief. So often do people alienate others from research in jargon and hundreds of academic paragraphs. It excludes the very reason we do research, which is inspired by humans and what we do, where we live, and who are are.
Also I'm such a nerd for how graphic presentation alters the flow of information consumption and how artistic decisions can evoke emotion. They do a bit of analysis in the back of the book of some of this. The interviews after the story are also enlightening and add a lot to the graphic novel itself.
I also feel that this can cover a big age range because the comic is very readable but contains themes that are deeper-however, no less universal.
Also I'm such a nerd for how graphic presentation alters the flow of information consumption and how artistic decisions can evoke emotion. They do a bit of analysis in the back of the book of some of this. The interviews after the story are also enlightening and add a lot to the graphic novel itself.
I also feel that this can cover a big age range because the comic is very readable but contains themes that are deeper-however, no less universal.
December 28, 2017
I thought this was a very good book that took on a variety of topics. It revolves around the friendship between two friends living very far apart after one of them moved away in her youth. It tackles some huge medical issues which is very timely for me right now as I deal with my own health issues which might be one of the reasons that I liked it so much. I enjoyed reading about the girls' opposing beliefs about medical procedures largely rooted in religion and the cultures they grew up in and that the book doesn't really approach either view as being right or wrong. I really enjoyed reading about the Egyptian revolution and there is a great timeline in the back of the book that details the events that occurred during the revolution. I feel like I learned a lot from this book and it really put me in touch with humanity and the struggles of others and the fact that we're really all in this together.
Note: This book was a Christmas gift from a good friend.
Note: This book was a Christmas gift from a good friend.
September 6, 2019
This book contains a foreword and lots of additional information and resources after the story. These resources provide information about the Egyptian revolution and about the medical conditions and procedures depicted in the story. They are worth checking out.
The story follows two friends, one Egyptian (Layla) and one American (Anna), as they deal with health issues of family, friends, and themselves while also struggling to find a place in the revolutionary events going on in Egypt.
Artistically, there are some amazing page spreads that mix iconography with what the characters are going through. It provides a deeper understanding of the characters. The graffiti in the background of the panels add to the ambiance of the story and provide further understanding of the circumstances of the plot.
Overall this is a great story that seeks to illustrate an intercultural friendship. It is as informative as it is moving.
The story follows two friends, one Egyptian (Layla) and one American (Anna), as they deal with health issues of family, friends, and themselves while also struggling to find a place in the revolutionary events going on in Egypt.
Artistically, there are some amazing page spreads that mix iconography with what the characters are going through. It provides a deeper understanding of the characters. The graffiti in the background of the panels add to the ambiance of the story and provide further understanding of the circumstances of the plot.
Overall this is a great story that seeks to illustrate an intercultural friendship. It is as informative as it is moving.
December 9, 2019
I read this with tears in my eyes. Moving, eye-opening, and easy to consume.
As someone with little to no knowledge about the Egyptian Revolution, I believe this graphic novel accomplished what it set out to do in reaching a broader audience who would not normally connect with or read this story (like myself).
This not only afforded me a new perspective, but a heart wrenching story with beautiful flow and relatable characters that developed along the way.
I’d recommend it and definitely see myself reading it again!
***I will note, I only read the dust jacket, the paragraph on transliteration, and the last paragraph of the foreword before reading the story. At the end, I read the notes about Ganzeer, the revolution timeline, and interviews with and intentions of those who worked on the book. I felt the story itself was better consumed this way so I could have my own experience, and draw my own conclusions, before reading the creators intentions and history behind this novel.***
As someone with little to no knowledge about the Egyptian Revolution, I believe this graphic novel accomplished what it set out to do in reaching a broader audience who would not normally connect with or read this story (like myself).
This not only afforded me a new perspective, but a heart wrenching story with beautiful flow and relatable characters that developed along the way.
I’d recommend it and definitely see myself reading it again!
***I will note, I only read the dust jacket, the paragraph on transliteration, and the last paragraph of the foreword before reading the story. At the end, I read the notes about Ganzeer, the revolution timeline, and interviews with and intentions of those who worked on the book. I felt the story itself was better consumed this way so I could have my own experience, and draw my own conclusions, before reading the creators intentions and history behind this novel.***
March 7, 2025
This graphic novel is about the friendship between two teenage girls: Anna and Layla. Throughout the story we find that their relationship faces serious tests, many of which are typical about two girls growing up and facing a multitude of different pressures as their societies have different expectations of them.
What truly sets the book apart are the challenges that disrupt their relationships, erupting with dramatic and deadly consequences, challenges that are both medical and political. Needless to say, one of the key truths the girls must ultimately face is how deeply those two challenges are interconnected.
The book’s artwork sometimes aligns well with its narrative, delivering powerful and beautiful moments, especially with the commendable use of Egyptian graffiti. However, in more mundane scenes, the simple style falls short, making the art feel inconsistent and occasionally jarring.
What truly sets the book apart are the challenges that disrupt their relationships, erupting with dramatic and deadly consequences, challenges that are both medical and political. Needless to say, one of the key truths the girls must ultimately face is how deeply those two challenges are interconnected.
The book’s artwork sometimes aligns well with its narrative, delivering powerful and beautiful moments, especially with the commendable use of Egyptian graffiti. However, in more mundane scenes, the simple style falls short, making the art feel inconsistent and occasionally jarring.
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