The Harvard Square Book Circle

The Harvard Square Book Circle, our in-store book club, will discuss Stitches, the graphic memoir by author and children's book illustrator David Small.

Stitches tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who awakes one day from a supposedly harmless operation to discover that he has been transformed into a virtual mute—a vocal cord removed, his throat slashed and stitched together like a bloody boot. From horror to hope, Small proceeds to graphically portray an almost unbelievable descent into adolescent hell and the difficult road to physical, emotional, and artistic recovery.

"Although the dialogue and narration are well written and moving, Small often shows us the story without a word of speech or commentary—not just for a few panels but for several pages at a time. He employs angled shots and silent montages worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. Revelations trigger haunting flashbacks in which we see an earlier scene from a new point of view. Small's drawing is masterful and evocative." —The Washington Post

"How David fights for his freedom and finds his voice, both literally and artistically, makes Stitches an engrossing story. But it is Small's talent and empathetic treatment of a child's perspective that elevate Stitches to great art. Small's children's books often feature colorfully whimsical caricatures and illustrations; he limits himself in this very adult tale to black and white. Yet through the sophisticated interplay of charcoal shading, harsh lines and dramatic composition, Small powerfully juxtaposes a child's retreat into fantasy...with the grim secrets of adult life." —The Los Angeles Times