Dancing at the Pity Party

Part poignant cancer memoir and part humorous reflection on a motherless life, this debut graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging.

From before her mother's first oncology appointment through the stages of her cancer to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter, Tyler Feder tells her story in this graphic novel that is full of piercing--but also often funny--details. She shares the important post-death firsts, such as celebrating holidays without her mom, the utter despair of cleaning out her mom's closet, ending old traditions and starting new ones, and the sting of having the "I've got to tell Mom about this" instinct and not being able to act on it. This memoir, bracingly candid and sweetly humorous, is for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it.

Tyler Feder is a Chicago-based artist whose work explores Big Feelings, feminism, and pop culture. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Radio/TV/Film and a fancy certificate in Creative Writing for the Media. After college, she studied comedy writing at The Second City Training Center and began posting drawings online, both of which were equal parts thrilling and terrifying. Since then, Tyler has illustrated Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin’s Unladylike, Leah Henderson’s Together We March, and many angsty self-portraits. Tyler wrote and illustrated the acclaimed picture book Bodies Are Cool, and she continues to sell prints and the occasional portrait at her long-running Etsy shop, Roaring Softly. Tyler’s favorite color is pink (obviously).