by David Small
First published 2010
David Small wakes up from what he believed was routine surgery to find his throat slashed and stitched together. At fourteen, he discovers a vocal cord has been removed. Nobody told him he had throat cancer. Nobody expected him to survive. His radiologist father subjected him to X-rays. His distant mother offers only criticism. David becomes a speechless victim in his own home. The boy who once had a voice must navigate a world where he cannot speak. At sixteen, he makes a choice. He will leave everything behind except his dream of becoming an artist. David's journey transforms him from silent victim to someone who finds his own way to tell his story.
Genres: medical, coming-of-age, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, graphic-novels-comics
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, silent-protagonist
329 pages · Paperback · W. W. Norton & Company
Content warnings: abuse, medical-trauma