Catherine Pioli was born in 1982. She loved to draw as a child and later enrolled in the School of Applied Arts in Paris. Throughout her career as an illustrator and freelance graphic designer represented by a Paris-based illustration agency, she created content for marketing firms, news outlets, and book and magazine publishers. When she was diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2016, she decided to make a graphic novel about her experience. Sadly, she did not survive her illness, passing away in July 2017. Despite everything, the testament she gives us is full of humanity and hope.
“A stunning example of what graphic medicine can do.” —starred review Publishers Weekly “The narrative, the information about leukemia, and the details about her treatment that the book shares all have a sense of hope that made the graphic novel’s abrupt ending, with a short text note about Pioli’s death in 2017, all the more devastating.” —Gene Ambaum Library Comic “There is humor but far more humanity in Pioli’s story about a ‘rare’ cancer . . . that takes away a beautiful life and leaves sorrow in its wake. Pioli’s book helps touch this sweet spot in us all while educating readers about cancer and how they can help.” —Denise Hill New Pages “Thoughtful, graceful, unforgettable. Pioli captures both the coldly clinical and the deeply personal with honesty, humor, and revelations that hit hard. It’s as good as graphic medicine gets.” —Brian Fies,author of Mom’s Cancer “A life-affirming graphic novel that ably illustrates not only the medical issues but also the very personal ones that affect a person diagnosed with leukemia. Elegantly translated from the original French by J. T. Mahany, it’s an excellent read for anyone interested in cancer, mortality and life in France.” —Doreen Sheridan The Frumious Consortium