Down to the Bone - by Catherine Pioli (Hardcover)

About the Book

A narrative, in graphic novel format, of the author's life and experiences as a leukemia patient.

Book Synopsis

When Catherine received her diagnosis, she didn't despair. She started drawing.

When Catherine is diagnosed with acute leukemia, a deadly form of cancer that attacks the immune system, her life is turned upside down. Young and previously healthy, she now finds herself catapulted into the world of the seriously ill--constantly testing and waiting for results, undergoing endless medical treatments, learning to accept a changing body, communicating with a medical team, and relying on the support of her partner, family, and friends.

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 through the waiting, the doubts, the fears, and the tears--but also the laughter, the love, and the strong will to live.

Rich in emotion, lighthearted, and profound, Down to the Bone is a powerful book.

Review Quotes

"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

"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

About the Author

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.