Logo image
  • BookDragon
  • About
  • The Blogger
  • Review Policy
  • Smithsonian APAC
 
50084
post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-50084,single-format-standard,stardust-core-1.1,stardust-child-theme-ver-1.0.0,stardust-theme-ver-3.1,ajax_updown_fade,page_not_loaded,smooth_scroll

BookDragon Blog

03 Dec / When Everything Turned Blue by Alessandro Baronciani, translated by Carla Roncalli di Montorio [in Booklist]

Marco, Chiara remembers of her close friend, “was not afraid … of being ill.” The sudden news of his death leaves Chiara “even more frightened” – because, ironically, he remained positive despite a fatal diagnosis while she remained debilitatingly “scared.”

The first time “it” happened, Chiara “[didn’t] know what came over [her].” She tries medications and various tests: “Could be the lungs. You struggle for breath. Terrible headaches.” She seeks doctors, loses her lover, and ostracizes friends. “Acknowledging panic attacks as an illness is very important,” she finally begins to accept, “you realize you’re not alone, at last.“ And so she heads toward possible recovery.

Originally published in 2020 in Italy and newly published in the U.S. in a smooth translation by Carla Roncalli di Montorio, Baronciani’s gentle narrative highlights the challenges of navigating mental health and offers universal resonance. In his expressive blue-and-white panels, Baronciani opens and ends in the unlimited sea as he literally transforms what was initially a “depth of darkness” for Chiara into “water all around me [that] keeps me up … and I feel like I’m flying.”

YA/S – special interest: Teens facing mental health challenges will find an empathetic, resonating read here.

Review: “Graphic Novels,” Booklist Online, October 28, 2022

Readers: Young Adult, Adult

Published: 2020 (Italy), 2022 (United States)

By Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, European, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Italian, Nonethnic-specific, Translation, Uncategorized, Young Adult Readers Tags > Alessandro Baronciani, BookDragon, Booklist, Booklist Online, Carla Roncalli Di Montorio, Friendship, Love, Mental Illness, When Everything Turned Blue
No Comment

Post a Comment
Cancel Reply

Smithsonian Institution
Asian Pacific American Center

Capital Gallery, Suite 7065
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024

202.633.2691 | APAC@si.edu

Additional contact info

Mailing Address
Capital Gallery
Suite 7065, MRC: 516
P.O. Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012

Fax: 202.633.2699

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

SmithsonianAPA brings Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture to you through innovative museum experiences and digital initiatives.

About BookDragon

Welcome to BookDragon, filled with titles for the diverse reader. BookDragon is a new media initiative of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC), and serves as a forum for those interested in learning more about the Asian Pacific American experience through literature. BookDragon is inhabited by Terry Hong.

Learn More

Contact BookDragon

Please email us at SIBookDragon@gmail.com

Follow BookDragon!
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Looking for Something Else …?

or