Part poignant memoir and part “cathartic and uplifting” (Kirkus Reviews) reflection on a motherless life, this graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging.
“Offers a wealth of perspective about coping with grief.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Equal parts celebration, reflection, and mourning, this graphic memoir touches on the unpredictable path of grief.”—School Library Journal, starred review
Tyler Feder had just white-knuckled her way through her first year of college when her super cool mom was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Now, with a decade of grief and nervous laughter under her belt, Tyler shares the story of that gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, extremely awkward time in her life—from her mom’s first oncology appointment to her funeral and shiva week through the beginning of facing reality as a motherless daughter. She shares the sting of loss that never goes away, the uncomfortable post-death firsts, and the deep-down, hard-to-talk-about feelings of the grieving process—but also the ways a premature death of a loved one can eventually enrich your life.
Dancing at the Pity Party is a frank and refreshingly funny look at what it’s like to grieve—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).
“
Dancing at the Pity Party is a gift to anyone who’s ever grieved and a guidebook for those who haven’t. Utterly breathtaking.”
—Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda “I can’t recommend this kind, funny, and poignant memoir enough. It’s an intimate, life-affirming story of resilience that feels like a good friend.”
—Mari Andrew, author of Am I There Yet? “Tyler Feder’s book brings such a refreshing honesty and vulnerability to one of the most difficult things a person can face. Her beautiful insights and clever pictures take you on a personal journey you’ll long remember.”
—Beth Evans, author of I Really Didn’t Think This Through
“Tyler Feder is strikingly adept at taking the worst time of her life and turning it into a book so full of wit and love that it’s impossible to put down.”
—Kristin Chirico, star of BuzzFeed’s Ladylike “A poignant and necessary work that will simultaneously make you laugh and cry. Feder’s storytelling is as vivid and impactful as cartooning gets.”
—Sarah Andersen, author of Adulthood Is a Myth
“Offers a wealth of perspective about coping with grief.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Equal parts celebration, reflection, and mourning, this graphic memoir touches on the unpredictable path of grief.”
—School Library Journal, starred review“Sincere but not sappy, this bittersweet and affecting meditation on the author’s experiences also serves as a heartfelt celebration of her mother’s life.”
—The Horn Book“Feder takes readers along on the nightmare road trip that nobody wants to make in a frank and funny, intimate and poignant graphic novel . . . The narrative, in peppily solid panel art, is exceptionally articulate and accessible.”
—BCCB, starred review“Grief can be crushing, but this heartfelt memoir will comfort those who have known it and gently show those who haven’t how to help and what to expect.”
—Booklist, starred review“The pastel-toned illustrations effectively convey Feder's youth and the intensity of her emotions while emphasizing the ultimate message of survival and resilience in the face of life-changing grief. Cathartic and uplifting."
—Kirkus Reviews
