Gestures more telling than words
A full-page panel towards the end of the book, when Midge’s dementia has progressed, uses a simple drawing of Midge’s hand, thumb, and index finger splayed apart just a few inches. Sarah has asked her mother how she is doing, and Midge answers non-verbally, in gestural form. Midge’s communication is a stunning articulation of the ways words cannot always adequately transmit emotion. Leavitt’s powerful illustrations likewise make visible the ways line drawing can fill in these gaps.