Reviewed by Robert Goodman.
By Luke C Jackson, Kelly Jackson, Mara Wild (Illustrator), Scribe, $35.00.
Two Week Wait is a graphic novel about one couple’s experience of the IVF process. While it is not strictly autobiographical it is based on Luke and Kelly Jackson’s personal experiences, reinforced by interviews and input from other couples who have been through the process. The novel is a compassionate but unflinching look at the world of IVF and the various pressures that it, and the expectations around it, puts on couples.
Conrad and Joanne have been together since meeting at university. As their friends start to have children they decide the time is also right for them. But it is not so easy, and after investigating why, with some complications on both sides, the pair sign up for an IVF program. The story then follows their progress through that system and the rollercoaster ride of emotions that goes along with it. Along the way, the authors highlight how the process impacts on their relationships with their families and friends and the tension that it places on their marriage, both emotionally and financially.
Two Week Wait is a compassionate story simply and effectively told both through its text and Mara Wild’s illustrations. There are no bells and whistles. Rather, this is a compression and distillation of a range of common experiences into a single, coherent narrative. Those who have been the process will likely recognise some of their own experience, those who have not will have a better understanding of IVF and the pressures on those who go through it. Probably most importantly, those who might be considering IVF might see that their journey is not unique, that the challenges that they are experiencing can be overcome and can prepare for the potential issues that they may have to face.
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