Julia Kaye

When author Julia Kaye experienced devastating and unexpected heartbreak, it was all she could do to turn to her sketchbook again to attempt to make sense of it all. Over the course of six months, she made a series of autobiographical comics reflecting where she was in the grieving process on her journey toward healing: from sadness, to anger, to consoling her inner child, and everything in between.

Grief is often a deeply isolating experience. Society’s general attitude towards it dictates that while it’s ok to outwardly be sad for a short period, one is supposed to get back to life as normal as if it doesn’t still feel like one’s entire world was completely upended. This short 24-page collection pushes back against the narrative that one needs to carry and process their pain silently.