Polar Vortex
On behalf of: New River Books
A stunning graphic novel about mothers and daughters, the power of family and what it really means to go home
In the middle of a brutally harsh winter, Susan returns to her claustrophobic hometown in America’s Midwest to organise urgent care for her elderly mother before the insurance runs out.
With her mother in hospital, lost in the swirling confusion of dementia, Susan wrestles with childhood memories and a toxic, long-distance relationship with her sister. Pressure mounts after their mother is abruptly discharged from hospital into a temporary rehab facility and a decision has to be made about her future. Longterm care is possible, but only if they sell the family home, their only asset. In a surprising turn of events, Susan’s sister announces that she wants her mother to go live with her on the West coast.
Grappling with these Faustian choices, Susan starts clearing the house and asks her best friend from high school to come and help. After a difficult morning of sorting, they drive through a violent snow storm to a familiar haunt and order a pitcher of margeritas. Susan is just contemplating another pitcher when the phone rings. It’s a nurse from the rehab centre telling her that her mother has gone missing. Panicked, Susan goes out into the storm to find her. And soon the future becomes clear…
Reviews
“I loved it. I can’t say enough good things about it. Buy it for everyone you know.”—The Observer
“The American cartoonist’s story of a trip to tackle her frail mother’s needs is funny, wise and magical.”—The Guardian
“This book could be distributed as a guide for caregivers, not to offer them miracle solutions, but to put words and images to what they are experiencing. Because what Denise Dorrance tells is a story that, one day or another, can concern us all. It’s a journey through the gale of addiction, with, as a watermark, the certainty that, despite the storm, there’s always love to share.”—Olivier de Ladoucette, French President of the Foundation for Research into Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.