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Two-Week Wait: an IVF story by Luke Jackson, Kelly Jackson (Paperback, 2021)

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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. 'This graphic novel is the delicately told story of one couple's journey through the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) process. Two-Week Wait is based on the IVF experiences of authors Luke and Kelly Jackson, and others like them. This grounding in lived experience enables the creators to combine convincing elements of everyday life and detailed information about the IVF process in an immersive and compelling way. The story of protagonists Joanne and Conrad is full of honesty and vulnerability. Both the Jacksons, as authors, and Mara Wild, as artist, are deft in their use of silent and reflective moments throughout the book. This works well for a story so much about self-reflection and finding answers to difficult questions, both individually and as a couple. Wild's art is striking in its fluidity. The texture of her line lends it a sketch-like quality that complements the openness of Joanne and Conrad's story. There is both a simplicity and a complexity in Wild's ability to convey emotion using facial expressions and body language. Her strictly limited palette and minimal use of colour enhances the novel's striking appearance and allows the linework to shine. Two-Week Wait will appeal to readers of memoir and graphic novels alike, particularly those who have enjoyed graphic memoirs like Mandy Ord's When One Person Dies the Whole World is Over.' -Adam Ford, Books+Publishing