Everyone is talking about In-Between Days and Teva Harrison. So it may come as no surprise that books are flying off the shelves at bookstores across Canada. Though we probably don’t need to convince you to go get your own copy, we’re going to, anyway. Here’s a round up of all the great things being said about In-Between Days, along with interviews and upcoming events.

Interviews

“I had people who were angry that I’m a vegetarian, but I am for animal testing for cancer drugs,” Teva during her interview with The Canadian Jewish News.

“In the beginning I was just drawing for myself. It was about having the thoughts and clarifying them by bringing them out in the open. I’ve found it interesting to see where it evolves.” Teva Harrison shares her story with CBC Books.

Reviews

“Harrison’s drawing style is more freeform than finicky, and her linework has an appealing vulnerability. But even beyond that aesthetic quality, there’s a remarkable directness to seeing vignettes from a life coloured by cancer that cuts to the quick.”— Maclean’s Magazine

“In her heartbreakingly honest exploration of these spaces in-between, Harrison provides a useful guide for those who cannot know the thoughts and fears of someone living with chronic illness; and for those experiencing a similar situation, the book shows that even in the most personal of journeys, you are not alone.” —National Post

“In-Between Days: A Memoir about Living with Cancer by Teva Harrison is a great example of literature and culture. Harrison has taken her illness and all the items associated with it and shared it with readers, making them not feel so alone and confused. This is a book that has been highly anticipated and deserves many laurels.” —Steven Buechler on In-Between Days.

Personal Essays

“The stakes are too high. We don’t want to upset the people we love. So we pull back and away. It’s no wonder that so many people find it easier to say nothing at all.” Teva wrote a virtual essay for The Walrus.

“I wanted to share the way it feels to live with this disease. The way it feels for me. Because the visceral details may be different for everybody, but chances are we run through the same suite of feelings when we live with a chronic or terminal illness.” Teva during her personal essay for Quill & Quire.

Upcoming Events

In-Between days will debut at TCAF May 13-15 at the Toronto Reference Library.

Teva Harrison will be at the NorthWords Writer’s Festival June 2-5.

Teva Harrison was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 37. In this brilliant and inspiring graphic memoir, she documents through comic illustration and short personal essays what it means to live with the disease. She confronts with heartbreaking honesty the crises of identity that cancer brings: a lifelong vegetarian, Teva agrees to use experimental drugs that have been tested on animals. She struggles to reconcile her long-term goals with an uncertain future, balancing the innate sadness of cancer with everyday acts of hope and wonder. She also examines those quiet moments of helplessness and loving with her husband, her family, and her friends, while they all adjust to the new normal.

Ultimately, In-Between Days is redemptive and uplifting, reminding each one of us of how beautiful life is, and what a gift.