Two-Week Wait: an IVF story
By (Author) Luke Jackson
By (author) Kelly Jackson
Illustrated by Mara Wild
Scribe Publications
Scribe Publications
4th May 2021
Australia
General
Non Fiction
Pregnancy, birth and baby care: advice and issues
Reproductive medicine
Popular science
Paperback
160
Width 177mm, Height 231mm, Spine 14mm
422g
An original graphic novel based on the IVF stories of its husband-and-wife authors and the 1-in-50 couples around the world like them. Conrad and Joanne met in their final year of university and have been virtually inseparable since then. For a while, it felt like they had all the time in the world. Yet now, when they are finally ready to have kids, they find that getting pregnant isn't always so easy. Ahead of them lies a difficult, expensive, and emotional journey into the world of assisted fertility, where each 'successful' implantation is followed by a two-week wait to see if the pregnancy takes. Join Joanne and Conrad, their friends, their family, their coworkers, and a stream of expert medical practitioners as they experience the highs and the lows, the tears and the laughter in this sensitive but unflinching portrayal of the hope and heartbreak offered to so many by modern medicine. 'In this lovely volume, you'll encounter heartache, hope, humour, and a very true and personal exploration of the physical, emotional, and financial roller-coaster of IVF. You'll also see the graphic novel form at its finest- where every dot and line has nuance and meaning, and where big ideas and feelings are conveyed with great subtlety through spare, elegant illustrations working hand-in-hand with great dialogues.' -Nicki Greenberg 'Full of honesty and vulnerability ... Two-Week Wait will appeal to readers of memoir and graphic novels alike.' -Adam Ford, Books+Publishing 'The Jacksons, married educators and parents of two, partner with artist Wild to tell a compassionate story about the struggle to conceive based on their own experiences and interviews with other couples who have dealt with fertility issues... Wild's loose, fluid, warmly coloured pencil art perfectly complements the script; in swooping curves and simple shapes, she draws emotive characters in domestic settings that look lived-in. Gentle and empathetic, this enters a growing trying-to-conceive graphic medicine genre, recalling Sarah Glidden's and Lucy Knisley's work, and offers a touchstone for any reader dealing with IVF.' -Publishers Weekly
Luke C. Jackson is a teacher, and the author of novels, games, and films. He and his wife, Kelly, began their own IVF journey in 2011, and are now parents of two daughters. Two-Week Wait- an IVF story is their first novel. Kelly Jackson is a teacher and educational writer. She and her husband, Luke, began their own IVF journey in 2011, and are now parents of two daughters. Two-Week Wait- an IVF story is their first novel. Mara Wild is a bookbinder, theatre designer, chorister, and celebrated comics artist. Living in Germany, she's part of a collective that organises events that mix arts, culture, performance, music - and partying.