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Globules et conséquences
La vie de Catherine, illustratrice, bascule le jour où on lui diagnostique une leucémie aiguë : une forme de cancer très grave qui s’attaque au système immunitaire. Elle qui n’avait jamais été vraiment été hospitalisée se retrouve alors propulsée dans le monde des grands malades et découvre la vie en hôpital. C’est un véritable parcours du combattant qui s’annonce... Les analyses, l’attente des résultats, les séances de soin, le corps qui se transforme, la perte des cheveux, ses relations avec le corps médical, le soutien de son compagnon et de ses proches, le retour à la vie normale, le regard des autres... En textes et en dessins, elle décide de raconter l’impact que la maladie a eu sur sa vie avec une grande sincérité, et surtout beaucoup de recul et d’humour. Avec elle, on vit l’attente, les doutes, la peur, les pleurs... mais on écoute aussi et surtout les rires, l’amour et la volonté de vivre.
152 pages, Hardcover
First published December 7, 2022
3 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 31, 2022
This mesmerised me and shattered me.
Author-illustrator Catherine Pioli had always taken her body for granted because right since childhood, she had never fallen sick or suffered any injury. But when, at the age of 32, there are sharp pains in her back and shoulder, the diagnosis comes as a shocker – acute leukaemia. What follows is a long journey filled with trials and tribulations, as Pioli strives to keep a brave face for her partner Sebastien, her family (parents, twin sister and younger brother), and friends.
This graphic memoir covers her journey from a little before the diagnosis to the treatment and aftermath. Originally published in 2018 in French as “Globules et consequences”, “Down to the Bone” is the English translation, due to be released in December 2022.
What shines throughout the novel is Pioli’s sense of humour through the ups and downs. Her inner insecurities also reveal themselves as she takes you as a witness along her path of pain. I couldn’t stop admiring her attitude; imagine writing this content (and doing full justice to the text as well as illustrations) as you are struggling with such a devastating disease.
There’s no doubt that Pioli is an outstanding cartoonist. Each page is detailed yet simplistic, with a plain white background and the humans and medical elements providing the pop of colour. But even beyond her sketching skills, Pioli has a knack for storytelling and organisation of content. The entire book feels so clutter-free. Despite the heavy topic and complicated medical jargon, the language is accessible. (I suppose a part of the credit must go to the translator as well for carrying forward the essence of the original text perfectly.)
I am not sure if this counts as a spoiler because the author’s biography publicly reveals the truth. Catherine Pioli didn’t survive the diagnosis and passed away in 2017 at the age of 35. This memoir doesn’t reveal the few months before the end (for obvious reasons… its author-illustrator was dealing with far greater troubles.) The way her death is revealed in the book is stark and might come as a shocker if you didn’t know it before – there’s just a single statement mentioning her date of death. It just stunned me into silence, though I was aware beforehand that the author hadn’t defeated the disease. It was a very unsettling moment.
I couldn’t help but recollect Paul Kalanithi’s memoir ‘When Breath Becomes Air’, where his wife provides closure to his story by revealing his final days and her life after his passing. I wish there were some personal note in this bande desinée too from Catherine’s family about her, not necessarily about her final days but more on the lines of a eulogy, saluting her spirit.
In short, outstanding in content and illustrations. A must-read, if you can handle the trauma. It’s not easy to peep into someone’s fight with leukaemia, especially when you already know the outcome.
4.75 stars.
My thanks to Graphic Mundi - PSU Press and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Author-illustrator Catherine Pioli had always taken her body for granted because right since childhood, she had never fallen sick or suffered any injury. But when, at the age of 32, there are sharp pains in her back and shoulder, the diagnosis comes as a shocker – acute leukaemia. What follows is a long journey filled with trials and tribulations, as Pioli strives to keep a brave face for her partner Sebastien, her family (parents, twin sister and younger brother), and friends.
This graphic memoir covers her journey from a little before the diagnosis to the treatment and aftermath. Originally published in 2018 in French as “Globules et consequences”, “Down to the Bone” is the English translation, due to be released in December 2022.
What shines throughout the novel is Pioli’s sense of humour through the ups and downs. Her inner insecurities also reveal themselves as she takes you as a witness along her path of pain. I couldn’t stop admiring her attitude; imagine writing this content (and doing full justice to the text as well as illustrations) as you are struggling with such a devastating disease.
There’s no doubt that Pioli is an outstanding cartoonist. Each page is detailed yet simplistic, with a plain white background and the humans and medical elements providing the pop of colour. But even beyond her sketching skills, Pioli has a knack for storytelling and organisation of content. The entire book feels so clutter-free. Despite the heavy topic and complicated medical jargon, the language is accessible. (I suppose a part of the credit must go to the translator as well for carrying forward the essence of the original text perfectly.)
I am not sure if this counts as a spoiler because the author’s biography publicly reveals the truth. Catherine Pioli didn’t survive the diagnosis and passed away in 2017 at the age of 35. This memoir doesn’t reveal the few months before the end (for obvious reasons… its author-illustrator was dealing with far greater troubles.) The way her death is revealed in the book is stark and might come as a shocker if you didn’t know it before – there’s just a single statement mentioning her date of death. It just stunned me into silence, though I was aware beforehand that the author hadn’t defeated the disease. It was a very unsettling moment.
I couldn’t help but recollect Paul Kalanithi’s memoir ‘When Breath Becomes Air’, where his wife provides closure to his story by revealing his final days and her life after his passing. I wish there were some personal note in this bande desinée too from Catherine’s family about her, not necessarily about her final days but more on the lines of a eulogy, saluting her spirit.
In short, outstanding in content and illustrations. A must-read, if you can handle the trauma. It’s not easy to peep into someone’s fight with leukaemia, especially when you already know the outcome.
4.75 stars.
My thanks to Graphic Mundi - PSU Press and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
June 8, 2022
After going to the doctor to try and resolve her back issues, 32 year old Catherine Pioli discovers her platelet and red and white blood cell counts are alarmingly low. She’s eventually diagnosed as having acute lymphocytic leukemia - Down to the Bone is the account of her experience from diagnosis through the months of agonising treatment.
Down to the Bone is a very thorough but accessible memoir about a difficult subject. I also found it to be compelling and surprisingly moving.
Reading about cancer treatment is nobody’s idea of a good time, not least because you probably know at least one person who’s gone through it, or you’ve gone through it yourself, so it’s addressing a very real trauma for most of us. And yet this book is so unputdownable in large part because Pioli herself has such a great attitude and sense of humour about her plight, that it renders the subject toothless to a degree.
It helps that she was an excellent cartoonist. There’s a good balance between the visuals and the text, and I loved the spare aesthetic of white page background throughout with only minimal colouring used (usually just Pioli herself being coloured in while the others remain black and white - like the cover). It’s a style I’ve noticed many female French cartoonists use and it’s so elegant.
I don’t consider this a spoiler - I can’t be the only one who notes details on the publication history page, ie. the author’s dates (usually just their birth year followed by a dash), so I saw right off the bat that Pioli had a birth and death date: 1982 - 2017. And yet, even when the book suddenly stops and there’s a line telling you that Catherine didn’t make it, it’s still a really powerful moment.
Because she’s so upbeat and irreverent throughout, I sorta forgot the dates on the publication page that preceded the book, and thought I was reading a memoir by a survivor. It’s only towards the end that the tone shifts from optimistic to… not. Like when Pioli draws herself as a skeleton, it’s quite a shocking moment as you realise, oh, there’s not that many pages left and things have gotten really bad for her. It’s still upsetting and really brings home the seriousness of what the author was going through, regardless of the peppy way she wrote about it, and that abruptness conveys the suddenness of death so effectively. And that moment is all the more moving because Pioli wins you over so effortlessly that you’re rooting for her to recover and live happily ever after right from the start.
The only parts of the book I didn’t totally love were the detailed medical processes she went through. It’s informative if you’re looking to understand the steps of these complex procedures but to me it was like reading pages from an illustrated medical manual, so they were a tad tedious.
Still, it’s so impressive that she was able to pull all of this together in spite of how clearly debilitating the treatment was to her strength. It shows you exactly what the experience of this disease is like from the realities of treatment, its after-effects, and how it changed her life. What a brave soul she was - I know if I were stricken with the same illness, I’d just fold into myself and give up; Catherine Pioli rose up to give us this last great book and the culture is poorer for having lost a talent like hers.
The book was published in her native French a few years ago and is just now being published in English. An enthralling account with a gut-punch of an ending, Down to the Bone is a remarkable comic that’s well worth checking out.
Down to the Bone is a very thorough but accessible memoir about a difficult subject. I also found it to be compelling and surprisingly moving.
Reading about cancer treatment is nobody’s idea of a good time, not least because you probably know at least one person who’s gone through it, or you’ve gone through it yourself, so it’s addressing a very real trauma for most of us. And yet this book is so unputdownable in large part because Pioli herself has such a great attitude and sense of humour about her plight, that it renders the subject toothless to a degree.
It helps that she was an excellent cartoonist. There’s a good balance between the visuals and the text, and I loved the spare aesthetic of white page background throughout with only minimal colouring used (usually just Pioli herself being coloured in while the others remain black and white - like the cover). It’s a style I’ve noticed many female French cartoonists use and it’s so elegant.
I don’t consider this a spoiler - I can’t be the only one who notes details on the publication history page, ie. the author’s dates (usually just their birth year followed by a dash), so I saw right off the bat that Pioli had a birth and death date: 1982 - 2017. And yet, even when the book suddenly stops and there’s a line telling you that Catherine didn’t make it, it’s still a really powerful moment.
Because she’s so upbeat and irreverent throughout, I sorta forgot the dates on the publication page that preceded the book, and thought I was reading a memoir by a survivor. It’s only towards the end that the tone shifts from optimistic to… not. Like when Pioli draws herself as a skeleton, it’s quite a shocking moment as you realise, oh, there’s not that many pages left and things have gotten really bad for her. It’s still upsetting and really brings home the seriousness of what the author was going through, regardless of the peppy way she wrote about it, and that abruptness conveys the suddenness of death so effectively. And that moment is all the more moving because Pioli wins you over so effortlessly that you’re rooting for her to recover and live happily ever after right from the start.
The only parts of the book I didn’t totally love were the detailed medical processes she went through. It’s informative if you’re looking to understand the steps of these complex procedures but to me it was like reading pages from an illustrated medical manual, so they were a tad tedious.
Still, it’s so impressive that she was able to pull all of this together in spite of how clearly debilitating the treatment was to her strength. It shows you exactly what the experience of this disease is like from the realities of treatment, its after-effects, and how it changed her life. What a brave soul she was - I know if I were stricken with the same illness, I’d just fold into myself and give up; Catherine Pioli rose up to give us this last great book and the culture is poorer for having lost a talent like hers.
The book was published in her native French a few years ago and is just now being published in English. An enthralling account with a gut-punch of an ending, Down to the Bone is a remarkable comic that’s well worth checking out.
don-t-count
June 19, 2022I'm not sure I could ever read this, but I'd really like to. Maybe put on my mental agenda for 2030, if we haven't started the apocalypse by then.
September 11, 2024
This was so good. The art was incredible and all in all it was amazing. I almost cried at the end though.
September 18, 2023
Catherine Pioli was a French illustrator and freelance graphic designer who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 32 and wrote and illustrated a heartfelt memoir about her struggle.
Set in Paris, Pioli confides to her twin sister that she is not feeling well, with extreme fatigue and back aches. Sadly after several doctor visits, she receives her diagnosis and is immediately hospital-bound for six weeks to start receiving treatment. It is obviously during this enforced bed rest that she begins her chronicle of her treatments. Told with honesty, and a touch of whimsy, the narrative never falls into pathos. She has the full support of her loving boyfriend, her twin, a brother who is a bone marrow match for her, her parents and many friends. Eventually, she is released back to her apartment, but has to follow extreme rules to keep herself healthy and endures constant doctor visits and re-hospitalizations. Despite knowing that Piloi did not survive, as it clearly says on the front copyright page the author’s dates of birth and death, it still was a complete gut punch at the end to be told that she drew her last breath in 2017.
Piloi had an elegant art style, with detailed sketches of backgrounds done in black and white, with color being saved to highlight herself and other important people in the scene. The celebrated French style and joie de vivre is captured, juxtaposed alongside the cutesy pictures of the green blasts (diseased stem cells that overtake the healthy red and white blood cells). First published in France, it was later translated by J.T. Mahany- he really captured the essence of the text when it was translated from French to English.
I actually read this book last year when I was part of the 2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Committee through the American Library Association. It made our Top 10 list, but it just took me awhile until I wrote a blog post about this bittersweet memoir. While it didn’t have the ending that readers want, this memoir of fighting an insidious disease was beautifully told by an amazing artist taken from the world much too soon.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/09/1...
Set in Paris, Pioli confides to her twin sister that she is not feeling well, with extreme fatigue and back aches. Sadly after several doctor visits, she receives her diagnosis and is immediately hospital-bound for six weeks to start receiving treatment. It is obviously during this enforced bed rest that she begins her chronicle of her treatments. Told with honesty, and a touch of whimsy, the narrative never falls into pathos. She has the full support of her loving boyfriend, her twin, a brother who is a bone marrow match for her, her parents and many friends. Eventually, she is released back to her apartment, but has to follow extreme rules to keep herself healthy and endures constant doctor visits and re-hospitalizations. Despite knowing that Piloi did not survive, as it clearly says on the front copyright page the author’s dates of birth and death, it still was a complete gut punch at the end to be told that she drew her last breath in 2017.
Piloi had an elegant art style, with detailed sketches of backgrounds done in black and white, with color being saved to highlight herself and other important people in the scene. The celebrated French style and joie de vivre is captured, juxtaposed alongside the cutesy pictures of the green blasts (diseased stem cells that overtake the healthy red and white blood cells). First published in France, it was later translated by J.T. Mahany- he really captured the essence of the text when it was translated from French to English.
I actually read this book last year when I was part of the 2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Committee through the American Library Association. It made our Top 10 list, but it just took me awhile until I wrote a blog post about this bittersweet memoir. While it didn’t have the ending that readers want, this memoir of fighting an insidious disease was beautifully told by an amazing artist taken from the world much too soon.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/09/1...
February 10, 2023
Being unfamiliar with this author and her other work, I was very shocked by the turn this memoir took. A very informative (and very devastating) look at what it is like to have leukemia - from beginning to end.
December 12, 2022
Brilliant
February 4, 2019
I loved the art in this graphic novel - I lived in France as a teenager and the poses and mannerisms of the characters transported me right back. The content of the memoir gutted me, though.
June 1, 2025
my patient borrowed me this after they got a new ALL diagnosis and with it being mostly illustrations, it was a super quick read. i think this would be good for anyone taking care of leukemia patients, those who become a leukemia patient, and their friends and family. it broke things down so well and just painted a full picture of what a leukemia diagnosis entails. the end also made me so emo and hit hard for a book that only lasted a hundred some pages.
August 24, 2022
A memoir about Pioli's leukemia diagnosis is enchanting in the way In Waves and Waves both deal with heartache, loss, diagnosis, pain, etc.
Pioli's illustrative style provides the peeks behind the curtain of how she sees her body but also how she understands the disease and her interactions with others from her boyfriend to her parents. She provides both the scientific understanding of her leukemia (the immature cells with their pacifiers is particularly humorous in the way they're meant to be for her portrayal) and the chic French style of how she carries herself equally matches the narrative.
And then you get to the page.
All told, this memoir is a must-read whether you, a loved one, or no one at all you know has experienced something similar because it allows empathy and understanding from the first person perspective and her art is superb.
Pioli's illustrative style provides the peeks behind the curtain of how she sees her body but also how she understands the disease and her interactions with others from her boyfriend to her parents. She provides both the scientific understanding of her leukemia (the immature cells with their pacifiers is particularly humorous in the way they're meant to be for her portrayal) and the chic French style of how she carries herself equally matches the narrative.
And then you get to the page.
All told, this memoir is a must-read whether you, a loved one, or no one at all you know has experienced something similar because it allows empathy and understanding from the first person perspective and her art is superb.
March 7, 2023
Very well done but definitely a hard read.
April 25, 2023
So informative and important and moving. Perfect.
February 15, 2023
Catherine discovers she has leukemia so she writes a graphic novel about her experience dealing with cancer. The book is nicely illustrated and definitely chronicles the difficult journey that she goes through. This book was a three star for me, but the last few pages really struck me and it caused me to make it a 4 star book.
November 1, 2023
Wow!!!! Catherine Pioli ilustrates her own fight against Leukemia,full of grace, sincerity and love. A very profound novel.
July 16, 2023
I put off reading this graphic novel / medical memoir as I was undergoing my own treatment for invasive breast cancer. Since I finished my last chemotherapy treatment (#15!) a few weeks ago and the library is emailing to say it's time to return the book (meaning I've gone through 6 renewal cycles, I told you I've had this one for a while!)... I decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did.
Very informative about what leukemia is and how it is treated. I saw some similarities to what I've been through, meds taken, hospital treatments, etc - and I still agree that waiting until my treatments were complete (fingers crossed 🤞🏻)to read this book was the right timing.
Very informative about what leukemia is and how it is treated. I saw some similarities to what I've been through, meds taken, hospital treatments, etc - and I still agree that waiting until my treatments were complete (fingers crossed 🤞🏻)to read this book was the right timing.
November 13, 2025
Lovely art. Heartbreaking true story. Reminded me a lot of my experience supporting my husband through a cancer diagnosis. She has a real eye for detail and the feel of being sick.
October 16, 2023
I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
Oh my goodness...this was a hard read. It was really well-written and the art was amazing, but I struggle with anything medical. So, why I picked up a book about leukemia is beyond me. (Okay, I'm lying--I picked it up because I loved the art style and just had to read it).
This is not an easy read. Lots of medical cringe, lots of horror at the difficulties and realities of cancer. It's a quick read, though, if not a pleasant one.
A very good book for someone interested in reading about cancer memoirs. A very difficult book, though, considering the topic.
Oh my goodness...this was a hard read. It was really well-written and the art was amazing, but I struggle with anything medical. So, why I picked up a book about leukemia is beyond me. (Okay, I'm lying--I picked it up because I loved the art style and just had to read it).
This is not an easy read. Lots of medical cringe, lots of horror at the difficulties and realities of cancer. It's a quick read, though, if not a pleasant one.
A very good book for someone interested in reading about cancer memoirs. A very difficult book, though, considering the topic.
September 3, 2018
Encantoume a ilustración e fíxome aprender e chorar. So if you're into that...
Read
September 17, 2025TW: very stark, jarring death as a result of cancer.
@ all the reviews mentioning that they were familiar with the author or at least the outcome of this story ahead of time, being completely unable to fathom a reading experience where that was not previously understood: hi! I try to go into most of my reading experiences with as little knowledge as possible, and I sure didn't expect this memoir to take the turn that it did! Admittedly, I was starting to wonder if the story would conclude midway through treatment when that big, blank page announcing the author's death appeared. I was shocked. I was gutted. I literally shook my head and my jaw dropped. You have to admire the realism and the honesty of the creators who helped put such a project together, but wow was I unprepared.
Down to the Bone depicts Pioli's experience with leukemia from her precursors of pain to her untimely death. A once-healthy woman, she expresses her sadness regarding her body's deterioration and periodic isolation amidst different stages of treatment. While most of the pages are more narrative in nature, the author does pause at times to describe the science behind protocol or anatomical features. These excerpts ultimately culminate with a brief PSA about how one can become a blood marrow donor, potentially saving the life of another human being.
If one can "love" a graphic novel so melancholy, I definitely fell in love with this work of true art. The illustrations were overall to my liking, although there were some pages or elements that were more angular than my preference (particularly in facial profiles). I saw another reviewer say that many pieces of the art style were reminiscent of the author's French background, and while I am personally unsure if this is true, I would believe it. More than the art alone, though, the "characters"/real people displayed here had me constantly rooting for them and wanting to support them. Perhaps it is heartwarming to simply witness someone with a good support system, but I think it's also literarily captivating and allows for more investment in a memoir. These are real people doing real things to try to care and make a difference. It's beautiful to witness even in the worst moments of hardship.
This graphic novel is a translation, and I while I would hate to harp too much on the language, I will say that the fluctuation between past and present tense - alongside a few other mechanical quips and quirks - was my chief concern. It sometimes took me out of the story and is probably what led to my absolute astonishment at the death reveal, even if it wasn't the translators' faults. But the messages of the story were still very much present despite the small language barrier.
As an American, there was one other thing that I took issue with, although it was no fault of the author's. The prices she paid for cancer treatments were indeed expensive, especially because the process is extended over such a long period of time. But my brain can't help taking into account living in America & how much all of this would be, with or without insurance. So many people die because they just can't pay anymore. And in the scenes where she gets ambulances...we could only fathom such a trip without bankruptcy. No one, regardless of country, should have to fight so hard financially just to survive a horrible disease they did not ask for.
I try to read stories like this once in awhile for a few reasons. Even though I would consider myself relatively squeamish when it comes to the medical field, I have great empathy for those who undergo such trials, and I think it is also crucial to continually stay informed. Conditions may differ drastically from one another, but there is often overlap in technology or treatments. In short, I genuinely think that reading this can give you a greater perspective of the world and make you a better person, especially if you work in a position that involves clinical or personal care for others.
This memoir might not have had the happy-ish ending as some others that delve into diagnoses, but I do think it was insightful, informative, and heartfelt. It was even amusing at times, and the cartoony cell illustrations turn big, scientific concepts into comprehensible images. I can tell that this graphic novel will be sitting with me for a long time, and I can definitely recommend it, although I would suggest keeping some tissues nearby and bracing yourself for an emotional ride.
@ all the reviews mentioning that they were familiar with the author or at least the outcome of this story ahead of time, being completely unable to fathom a reading experience where that was not previously understood: hi! I try to go into most of my reading experiences with as little knowledge as possible, and I sure didn't expect this memoir to take the turn that it did! Admittedly, I was starting to wonder if the story would conclude midway through treatment when that big, blank page announcing the author's death appeared. I was shocked. I was gutted. I literally shook my head and my jaw dropped. You have to admire the realism and the honesty of the creators who helped put such a project together, but wow was I unprepared.
Down to the Bone depicts Pioli's experience with leukemia from her precursors of pain to her untimely death. A once-healthy woman, she expresses her sadness regarding her body's deterioration and periodic isolation amidst different stages of treatment. While most of the pages are more narrative in nature, the author does pause at times to describe the science behind protocol or anatomical features. These excerpts ultimately culminate with a brief PSA about how one can become a blood marrow donor, potentially saving the life of another human being.
If one can "love" a graphic novel so melancholy, I definitely fell in love with this work of true art. The illustrations were overall to my liking, although there were some pages or elements that were more angular than my preference (particularly in facial profiles). I saw another reviewer say that many pieces of the art style were reminiscent of the author's French background, and while I am personally unsure if this is true, I would believe it. More than the art alone, though, the "characters"/real people displayed here had me constantly rooting for them and wanting to support them. Perhaps it is heartwarming to simply witness someone with a good support system, but I think it's also literarily captivating and allows for more investment in a memoir. These are real people doing real things to try to care and make a difference. It's beautiful to witness even in the worst moments of hardship.
This graphic novel is a translation, and I while I would hate to harp too much on the language, I will say that the fluctuation between past and present tense - alongside a few other mechanical quips and quirks - was my chief concern. It sometimes took me out of the story and is probably what led to my absolute astonishment at the death reveal, even if it wasn't the translators' faults. But the messages of the story were still very much present despite the small language barrier.
As an American, there was one other thing that I took issue with, although it was no fault of the author's. The prices she paid for cancer treatments were indeed expensive, especially because the process is extended over such a long period of time. But my brain can't help taking into account living in America & how much all of this would be, with or without insurance. So many people die because they just can't pay anymore. And in the scenes where she gets ambulances...we could only fathom such a trip without bankruptcy. No one, regardless of country, should have to fight so hard financially just to survive a horrible disease they did not ask for.
I try to read stories like this once in awhile for a few reasons. Even though I would consider myself relatively squeamish when it comes to the medical field, I have great empathy for those who undergo such trials, and I think it is also crucial to continually stay informed. Conditions may differ drastically from one another, but there is often overlap in technology or treatments. In short, I genuinely think that reading this can give you a greater perspective of the world and make you a better person, especially if you work in a position that involves clinical or personal care for others.
This memoir might not have had the happy-ish ending as some others that delve into diagnoses, but I do think it was insightful, informative, and heartfelt. It was even amusing at times, and the cartoony cell illustrations turn big, scientific concepts into comprehensible images. I can tell that this graphic novel will be sitting with me for a long time, and I can definitely recommend it, although I would suggest keeping some tissues nearby and bracing yourself for an emotional ride.
December 19, 2022
12/11/2022 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
12/19/2022 What an absorbing, educational and ultimately devastating graphic novel depicting the artist's own journey with cancer, from diagnosis through treatment until her own untimely end.
Catherine Pioli never got sick or injured as a child, so thinks she's finally outrun her long streak of good health when her back and shoulder pain get so bad that she can barely walk, much less work. Her doctors finally schedule her for a hospital stay so they can run all the tests, and are just as surprised as she is to discover that she has leukemia.
As a graphic artist, she decides to chronicle the journey via drawings, not only of her own life grappling with the disease and often debilitating treatment, but also cartoony illustrations bringing her cellular processes to life. The effect of the latter is both cute and informative, as she educates readers on the clinical details of leukemia in accessible language with engaging illustrations.
But it's the more sophisticated depiction of her personal life that really leaves an impact on the reader, as she shows how the diagnosis and treatment affect her everyday existence. There isn't a mawkish moment in the book as she wryly examines how her life changes, from the first extended hospital stay to how the diagnosis affects her relationship with her family and loved ones to just trying to survive, never mind thrive, within the constraints of her new reality. It's no small triumph that her narrative stays so fresh and lively throughout. The hair loss subplot is common throughout many cancer stories, but the way Ms Pioli talks about her own experience with it feels vital and new.
So it hurts to discover that she dies of the disease in 2017. Her last few months aren't depicted -- understandably, as she's frank about how exhausting everything is as the disease progresses -- but there is an important coda about bone marrow donation, about how the process works and why it's so important. I rather wish there'd been more transparency about who continued working on this book after she passed, whether it was an editor or loved one who collected what she sent and chose to organize it in this way, just to know whom she loved enough to trust with this deeply personal, deeply impactful tale. But hers seemed a life well-lived, even if it was cut far too short by this terrible disease.
The only thing that didn't elicit a ton of sympathy for me will come as no surprise to anyone at all familiar with the state of American health care. Whenever Catherine expresses surprise over her pharmacy bills, I'm reminded of how medicine is treated in the civilized world, as a public service and right, not a profit-making operation as it is in the US. Tbh, I don't think I could handle reading something like this set in this country. Death is bad enough without having to worry about penury as well.
For all that, this is 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. Recommended.
Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story by Catherine Pioli was published December 13 2022 and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
12/19/2022 What an absorbing, educational and ultimately devastating graphic novel depicting the artist's own journey with cancer, from diagnosis through treatment until her own untimely end.
Catherine Pioli never got sick or injured as a child, so thinks she's finally outrun her long streak of good health when her back and shoulder pain get so bad that she can barely walk, much less work. Her doctors finally schedule her for a hospital stay so they can run all the tests, and are just as surprised as she is to discover that she has leukemia.
As a graphic artist, she decides to chronicle the journey via drawings, not only of her own life grappling with the disease and often debilitating treatment, but also cartoony illustrations bringing her cellular processes to life. The effect of the latter is both cute and informative, as she educates readers on the clinical details of leukemia in accessible language with engaging illustrations.
But it's the more sophisticated depiction of her personal life that really leaves an impact on the reader, as she shows how the diagnosis and treatment affect her everyday existence. There isn't a mawkish moment in the book as she wryly examines how her life changes, from the first extended hospital stay to how the diagnosis affects her relationship with her family and loved ones to just trying to survive, never mind thrive, within the constraints of her new reality. It's no small triumph that her narrative stays so fresh and lively throughout. The hair loss subplot is common throughout many cancer stories, but the way Ms Pioli talks about her own experience with it feels vital and new.
So it hurts to discover that she dies of the disease in 2017. Her last few months aren't depicted -- understandably, as she's frank about how exhausting everything is as the disease progresses -- but there is an important coda about bone marrow donation, about how the process works and why it's so important. I rather wish there'd been more transparency about who continued working on this book after she passed, whether it was an editor or loved one who collected what she sent and chose to organize it in this way, just to know whom she loved enough to trust with this deeply personal, deeply impactful tale. But hers seemed a life well-lived, even if it was cut far too short by this terrible disease.
The only thing that didn't elicit a ton of sympathy for me will come as no surprise to anyone at all familiar with the state of American health care. Whenever Catherine expresses surprise over her pharmacy bills, I'm reminded of how medicine is treated in the civilized world, as a public service and right, not a profit-making operation as it is in the US. Tbh, I don't think I could handle reading something like this set in this country. Death is bad enough without having to worry about penury as well.
For all that, this is 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. Recommended.
Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story by Catherine Pioli was published December 13 2022 and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
August 15, 2022
This misery memoir, of a lass ten years younger than me who has since died with the disease featured in this book, certainly has a distinctive style. As if the least hand-written of fonts possible for the captions and narrative chunks weren’t enough, and if the sparse white of the page didn’t do enough, we get every scene’s key character in vivid colour, and the rest of the world beyond them reduced to pure outline. And not even in black, either.
This, and the coloured funkified speech bubbles, certainly makes the page lively and as I say distinctive. But it also achieves an immediacy, a foregrounding of our narrator in her battles with the leukaemia that strikes her down. At first it’s just deemed sciatica, as back and thigh pains strike her so much she is left with no option but test after test after test to find the disease and what is supposed to be the right kind of chemo in response.
I do think there are slight issues and flaws with the book. It’s not guaranteed that you will really engage with the narrator, even if the jaw-dropping amount of procedures (and equally jaw-dropping cost of the whole shebang, with just one pill being charged at $85 per tablet) do kind of force empathy. There is also the slight issue of the creator’s dates being mentioned on the title page, the earliest spoiler possible. (That said, the book does continue after her death, with a similarly-styled advert for, and explanation of, bone marrow donation.)
And of course you get the it-goes-without-saying aspect of this, that you wish you’d never had to read it. You wish the real life person behind these pages had not gone through so much, had shared her sister’s ability to procreate, and had gone for something in her distinctive style not so gallingly medical. And that’s my personal issue with the misery memoir genre, for its readers don’t seem to have that empathy, and from my POV seem to applaud their chance to read such horrors. It is a strange kind of person who finds entertainment in this narrative, and my ultimate issue with this is perhaps that it is too personal, too hair-fally-outy, and not quite as hard-hitting reportage as it needed to be. Yet for the all the punch-pulling, this can have an impactful touch, so four stars is about right.
This, and the coloured funkified speech bubbles, certainly makes the page lively and as I say distinctive. But it also achieves an immediacy, a foregrounding of our narrator in her battles with the leukaemia that strikes her down. At first it’s just deemed sciatica, as back and thigh pains strike her so much she is left with no option but test after test after test to find the disease and what is supposed to be the right kind of chemo in response.
I do think there are slight issues and flaws with the book. It’s not guaranteed that you will really engage with the narrator, even if the jaw-dropping amount of procedures (and equally jaw-dropping cost of the whole shebang, with just one pill being charged at $85 per tablet) do kind of force empathy. There is also the slight issue of the creator’s dates being mentioned on the title page, the earliest spoiler possible. (That said, the book does continue after her death, with a similarly-styled advert for, and explanation of, bone marrow donation.)
And of course you get the it-goes-without-saying aspect of this, that you wish you’d never had to read it. You wish the real life person behind these pages had not gone through so much, had shared her sister’s ability to procreate, and had gone for something in her distinctive style not so gallingly medical. And that’s my personal issue with the misery memoir genre, for its readers don’t seem to have that empathy, and from my POV seem to applaud their chance to read such horrors. It is a strange kind of person who finds entertainment in this narrative, and my ultimate issue with this is perhaps that it is too personal, too hair-fally-outy, and not quite as hard-hitting reportage as it needed to be. Yet for the all the punch-pulling, this can have an impactful touch, so four stars is about right.
November 18, 2023
F@#$ Cancer. A rallying cry that anyone in their right mind could get behind. I think everyone has been impacted by it one way or another. For Catherine Pioli it impacted her directly. Her story makes you aware of just how quickly life can change. One day you think you have back pain and the next you are informed there is a position in your body trying to kill you.
Being a professional cartoonist she put her struggles on the page. It seems odd to compliment how beautiful this book is considering the subject matter, but her skills with a pen are undeniable. The body language tells us so much about the struggle that is taking place. ne of the most moving scenes was when she decided to shave her head finally. Similar to the majority of the book there’s a lot of negative space with the focus strictly on the people, as if the spotlight of the world is focused just on this one moment.
A question that comes up with a book like this is what exactly is what does this offer? For one it is a person telling their story. That’s the basic principles of art, and in this case, there is much to say. Secondly, it works to provide a contrast to the more glorified takes on the struggles with cancer shown in other mediums. This isn’t someone’s interpretation of what can happen or the act of retelling someone else story. There is an authenticity you simply cannot fake.
Being a professional cartoonist she put her struggles on the page. It seems odd to compliment how beautiful this book is considering the subject matter, but her skills with a pen are undeniable. The body language tells us so much about the struggle that is taking place. ne of the most moving scenes was when she decided to shave her head finally. Similar to the majority of the book there’s a lot of negative space with the focus strictly on the people, as if the spotlight of the world is focused just on this one moment.
A question that comes up with a book like this is what exactly is what does this offer? For one it is a person telling their story. That’s the basic principles of art, and in this case, there is much to say. Secondly, it works to provide a contrast to the more glorified takes on the struggles with cancer shown in other mediums. This isn’t someone’s interpretation of what can happen or the act of retelling someone else story. There is an authenticity you simply cannot fake.
December 5, 2023
this book has been making me think. it… almost makes me grateful for the things that have ruined my day. i’m healthy enough to have acne breakouts, messy tangly uncomfortable hair, even be gaining weight. i’m so blessed to have a body right now that is functioning enough to do the things that i’ve hated because right now i know that others aren’t so fortunate.
it’s incredible that she was able to write this through her illness. she was going through absolute hell and i couldn’t imagine writing and describing it. she makes it simple to understand and so easy to relate to that i had to put it down twice because it was making me so squeamish. i pictured myself in her position because, like she showed, she was just a normal person living a normal life. she did deal with her illness so differently than i would’ve. until the end she was just shaking it off. and the fact that it ends so abruptly… i mean this just makes it insane to me. it’s so powerful and i hope in her last moments she had a hunch of the impact she left and felt peace
it’s incredible that she was able to write this through her illness. she was going through absolute hell and i couldn’t imagine writing and describing it. she makes it simple to understand and so easy to relate to that i had to put it down twice because it was making me so squeamish. i pictured myself in her position because, like she showed, she was just a normal person living a normal life. she did deal with her illness so differently than i would’ve. until the end she was just shaking it off. and the fact that it ends so abruptly… i mean this just makes it insane to me. it’s so powerful and i hope in her last moments she had a hunch of the impact she left and felt peace
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2024
This book was both beautiful and a huge punch in the gut.
I stumbled on it at the library of the cancer hospital I’m in treatment for leukemia. I knew nothing of her story. I have been very mindful of not reading a single memoir about leukemia to not add to my stress but I figured this one was sure to have a happy ending. I sat down at a table and read through it, and felt she so accurately portrayed what we go through.
I found it so relatable, everything from the pains she had prior to being diagnosed, to her experience of chemo and navigating the world after cancer. And then, out of nowhere, there is a single page that says when she took her last breath. It absolutely crushed me and made my mind spiral.
I would read it if you AREN’T going through cancer, especially not leukemia. The fragility of my emotional balance could not handle this. But if you are otherwise healthy and want to learn more about what it is like to live this disease, please read it. It’s beautifully done.
I stumbled on it at the library of the cancer hospital I’m in treatment for leukemia. I knew nothing of her story. I have been very mindful of not reading a single memoir about leukemia to not add to my stress but I figured this one was sure to have a happy ending. I sat down at a table and read through it, and felt she so accurately portrayed what we go through.
I found it so relatable, everything from the pains she had prior to being diagnosed, to her experience of chemo and navigating the world after cancer. And then, out of nowhere, there is a single page that says when she took her last breath. It absolutely crushed me and made my mind spiral.
I would read it if you AREN’T going through cancer, especially not leukemia. The fragility of my emotional balance could not handle this. But if you are otherwise healthy and want to learn more about what it is like to live this disease, please read it. It’s beautifully done.
May 29, 2023
Reading 2023
Book 65: Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story by Catherine Pioli
Not sure where I find these graphic novels, but another one I picked up at the library. The true story of the author’s battle with leukemia as an adult.
Synopsis: A narrative, in graphic novel format, of the author’s life and experiences as a leukemia patient. 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.
Review: This book felt a bit like the graphic novel version of one of my all time favorite memoirs: Between Two Kingdoms. As a graphic novel this book allows the reader to see more of what is happening to Catherine. My rating 4⭐️.
Book 65: Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story by Catherine Pioli
Not sure where I find these graphic novels, but another one I picked up at the library. The true story of the author’s battle with leukemia as an adult.
Synopsis: A narrative, in graphic novel format, of the author’s life and experiences as a leukemia patient. 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.
Review: This book felt a bit like the graphic novel version of one of my all time favorite memoirs: Between Two Kingdoms. As a graphic novel this book allows the reader to see more of what is happening to Catherine. My rating 4⭐️.
June 28, 2022
As a chronically ill person myself who has spent so much of their life in and out of the hospital, but also as someone who has watched loved ones go through chemotherapy, it was an incredibly honest and painful account of illness to read. Comics as a visual medium needs more stories like this. I am forever grateful to know her story.
Themes in this comic include cancer treatment, love and loss, reality of illness and young death
Themes in this comic include cancer treatment, love and loss, reality of illness and young death
April 8, 2023
No matter how many cancer memoirs I've read written by people in their thirties or forties (maybe seven or eight), they always manage to get me. Pioli's is no different. This graphic novel feels fresh in style while at the same time covering a grim topic. Pioli expertly explains the science behind her type of cancer and its treatment while at the same time bringing us into her personal life, her struggles with so many losses - her hair, her weight, her sense of taste, her energy.
Most tragically, the book is cut short by her death. It certainly feels interrupted, much in the way death interrupts.
Most tragically, the book is cut short by her death. It certainly feels interrupted, much in the way death interrupts.
October 9, 2024
Having gone through this myself, I don’t have many words to say besides that it was a great testament and story. I will say that I was at Small Press Expo when I saw this book and the lady at the table was telling me about it. Not knowing that I was a survivor, I asked her to pause after she showed me the page where it says the author passed away. I told her that I was a survivor of the same disease and she gave me a hug. I told her I’d come back to the table later and when I did she gave me this book for free. I’m glad to have read this story.
April 25, 2023
Well, I got this book because my son wanted me to read a graphic novel. And this seemed interesting to me. I wanted to learn something. And I did! However I wasn’t expecting it to end they way it did. To leave me filled with sadness. Oh this book. My heart. I can say this much. I very much think I will sign up to donate now. I always thought the process was much more difficult. Thank you for this book. It will stay with me in my heart for a long time.
July 3, 2023
This was a very touching yet devastating graphic novel to read. I admire the way the authoress found ways to laugh and be strong in her fight. While a lot of the medical terminology went way over my head I still found it fascinating to see what goes into cancer treatment and how doctors and nurses will fight for an individuals life.
RIP Catherine Pioli. You deserved so much more life then you were given.
RIP Catherine Pioli. You deserved so much more life then you were given.
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