By Benjamin Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

I was born anxious and angry, my sinuses and digestive system didn’t work as they should have. However, dad was a doctor. He knew what to do. Dad prescribed the medicines for my frequent bouts with this and that. Dad gave me shots. And enemas. Dad put me on his treatment table and “cracked my neck,” our family nickname for the osteopathic manipulations he had learned in medical school. And it was dad the radiologist who gave me the many x-rays that were supposed to cure my sinus problems.

And so we are introduced to the terrifying childhood of Michigan author and children’s book illustrator David Small. In this illustrated memoir, Small tells and draws us the story of growing up in a household where he is subjected to his father’s scientific experimentations and his mother’s emotional manipulations. Eventually, due to excessive exposure to radiation, he develops a tumor and is diagnosed with throat cancer and left speechless. The young boy is helpless, alone, and silent. However, in his drawings and art he finds refuge.

With the simple lines of his drawings, Small takes his reader’s eyes through a roller coaster of memories and emotions. Furrowed brows, creased frowns, and skewed glances speak volumes. So much is told in so few words. This book will break your heart. Small’s memoir is a touching look at the silences many endure among people called family.

Stitches appeals to readers of character driven fiction and memoirs, and is also a worthwhile recommendation for teenagers who enjoy graphic novels.