30 Oct / Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu, illustrated by Keet Geniza [in Booklist]
“I’m not a big fan of the common sentiment, ‘Cancer made me a better person,’” Kimiko Tobimatsu admits in her author’s note. “But then, cancer did make me a better person.” Diagnosed at 25 with “a rare form of breast cancer – mucinous,” Tobimatsu is assured, “good news! It’s non-aggressive with high survival rights.” Surgery makes her cancer-free.
Although her follow-up care initially lacks consensus, the Canadian health-care system proves enviable in accessibility and thoroughness (ahem!). Recovery happens, but unsurprisingly, everything changes: fertility vanishes, menopause overwhelms; relationships with family, lovers, friends, colleagues require constant negotiation; daily life exhausts; depression settles.
As a mixed-race, queer, Japanese Canadian employment/human-rights lawyer, Tobimatsu’s observations are especially astute in response to the ubiquitous, pink-ribboned messaging: “The mainstream cancer narrative was so white, feminized and apolitical; the peppiness seemed to gloss over the way cancer affected people differently based on race and class.”
Filipino Canadian artist Keet Geniza presents Tobimatsu’s memoir in immersive black/white/pale-green panels, especially affecting in capturing the vast breadth of Tobimatsu’s ever-changing expressions. Together, the debut collaborative pair create raw, tenacious strength – literally.
Review: “Graphic Novels,” Booklist, October 15, 2020
Readers: Adult
Published: 2020