Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story - Catherine Pioli

Author: Catherine Pioli

Illustrator: Catherine Pioli

Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir.

Rating: 4.75 stars.

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 Catherine 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 simple 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 also go to the translator as well for carrying forward the essence of the original text so well.)

I am not sure if this counts as a spoiler because the author’s biography reveals the truth. Catherine 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 made it through the disease. It was a very unsettling moment.

I can’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.

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.