This graphic novel was heartbreaking and moving. Sharing your story with the public is never easy and putting yourself out there is a brave step. I loved how the author illustrated her life and her hardships in this book, taking it step by step to tell her story. This wasn’t an easy read but it was worth it.

Galling but beneficial memoir in black and white comic book form. Our narrator adores her son, for all the dodgy home creations he makes, such as 'electric chairs', and however much he creates a chamber of horrors out of the house for Halloween. But when he's twisted himself into that very different kind of beast known as a teenager, he starts listening to a whole spread of crap "music", probably rapping about but definitely denigrating womanhood. Which is the impetus she finds to open up and to tell him – and evidently us – about the two times she was a victim of rape.

And no, he's not biologically hers – we learn early on that he was adopted, and you have to kind of accept that after two rapes, one involving strangulation and a dreadful time in court, the other an armed nutjob, a vibrant sex life is not really priority. But to me the priority is the take-out of the whole act – your darlin' boy rapes a woman and he ends up in court, you still love him and hate her. You joke about rape like a lovely liberal. You're a woman and dismiss the event as the result of someone giving off negative energy, or victimhood, or some such errant meaningless bollux.

Still, the response of this creator to the double-rape, and her portrayal of having to tell her son about it is the key here, the bigger outcome. We see her not wanting children (based on preference, the state of the world, etc) before it all, and then combatting the all-men-are-monsters trope afterwards. And with the final swoop to the ultimate conclusion, you see the merits and power of love, when offered as unconditionally as us humble human critters can manage at least.

This is a love letter rather than a hate-filled diatribe, a thing of much more positivity than the 'trigger warning' page would suggest. And yes, as it suggests, it is hard to critique ("oh dear, woman, your opinion about such a hellishly changing experience seems flawed, have another go why don't you!"), but there never felt a need to. Loose artwork, hand lettering, a quick readability and clarity of purpose – it's all there, and it really is a story of benefit to the reader, as opposed to a simple misery memoir. Four and a half stars.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book. All thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.
This book made me sob and think about it for days. It was so powerful.

A good book to read for a reader who had the same situations. Inspirational adn have a motivations to build a strenght inner self.

A graphic novel memoir on Marian's survival and growth after hard years and opening up to her son about that part of her life. I reccomend this for any survivors who are becoming/are parents. Tw/cw it will tug at the heart strings and has very sensitive moments though it is not extreme horror graphics

Sometimes in life it is hard to find a reason to go on. It’s surprisingly difficult even years after a trauma to explain it to someone else. This is a heartbreaking and beautiful story of a woman, a real woman who was victimized not once but twice, and multiple times beyond that in court and by the callus opinions of others who don’t understand how rape redefines a person on a bones deep level. Yet despite that, Marian goes on to become a success in work and life, a talented, funny artist who expresses herself , finds the man of her dreams, and adopts a cheerful, kind, wonderful son who needs her as much as she needs him. In the course of him growing up she struggles with the way his changes effect her and tries to be brave, but eventually must tell him about her past, which is both cathartic and deeply painful for her to relive and express to him. This is a must read for anyone who feels alone, who has been violated and struggled with blaming themself for it, with feeling hurt and dirty and stained and has to overcome it and confront it for the sake of themself and their family. It is powerful, emotional and will reduce you to tears, but it also comforts you. Amazing work.

I would like to express my gratitude for the Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book, generously provided by the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Marian Henley's "Finding the Light" is a deeply moving and beautifully illustrated memoir that delves into the profound emotional journey of raising a son after surviving sexual violence. The graphic memoir courageously tackles the most difficult conversation between a mother and her son - revealing the trauma of two rapes she endured as a young woman.

Henley's elegant black ink illustrations, coupled with her trademark humor and witty writing style, illuminate even the darkest moments of her story. This poignant narrative unfolds with sensitivity, chronicling the challenging yet liberating process of sharing her painful past with her son. "Finding the Light" is a testament to survivorship, the transformative power of love, and the healing journey of motherhood.

Trigger Warning: This graphic novel contains sensitive content related to sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

This was always going to be a difficult read. Marian’s story is both shockingly common and unusual. Marian has survived two rapes, both perpetrated by strangers.

Statistically, one out of every six American women have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime, although I’d wager the number is significantly higher. Eight out of ten rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. Source: RAINN.

Marian’s story is heart-wrenching. Be aware that this graphic novel includes some details of the rapes Marian experienced, along with other violence. There’s victim blaming and injustice. There’s also a significant amount of swearing.

Anyone who has experienced dissociation will identify it the first time it’s pictured, well before it is named. The impacts of sexualised violence are explored, as is the courage and resilience of survivors.

I absolutely loved the panels depicting Marian’s relationship with her son, especially as we watch him grow up. Marian captures his innocence, as well as the relationship we have with the animals that adopt us, with such purity and heart.

Much like the yin-yang symbol Marian uses to illustrate the revelation she has about being a mother to a boy, the devastation in this graphic memoir sits alongside hope.

Content warnings include non-fatal strangulation, self harm and sexual assault.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Absolutely gut wrenching. This graphic novel takes some twisty turns and tackles some really difficult topics. The way the earlier portion of the story faded into the middle was very impactful. The transition into the end third didn't feel as intentional unfortunately. Highly recommend others read, being aware of triggers (SA, SI), to get a glimpse into a unique (though in ways sadly common) perspective.

C'est la triste histoire d'une femme qui, comme tant d'autres, a subi des agressions sexuelles. Cette femme essaye de se reconstruire car pour elle, tous les hommes sont des monstres. Elle finira par trouver la paix dans l'adoption d'un petit garçon.

Les dessins sont assez particuliers et en noirs et blanc, mais l'histoire prend rapidement le dessus. C'est une histoire touchante et réaliste, un parcours que malheuresement beaucoup de femme doivent suivre et vécu par l'autrice... Une tranche de vie poignante sur la reconstruction et la vie en tant que femme.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four stars.
Trigger warning for sexual assault.
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is both simple in its construction and complex in its message. The message is both confronting and full of hope. Being a woman can be scary and it definitely was for the author. She had not one, but two battles to face. I have to applaud her honesty, strength and integrity. I can only imagine how hard it is to take your rapist to court, and she did it not once, but twice. And out of this, she regained some of her power (and found her light 💫).
I felt the emotion in the illustrations, the fear, helplessness and powerlessness. But then also her journey to reclaiming her life and herself. And building a beautiful relationship with her son, who she was then able to share her story with and teach and guide him on how not to be like those other men. I felt the strength in that. Marian's story, her strength and honesty really touched me. I want to thank her (though I doubt she will ever see this!) for sharing it with us, so that we can learn from it too.

Thank you Netgalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Marian Henley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off, the perfect title for this story.
From the 2nd page it had me. A sad journey. Painful, strong and pure. The story is told with bit of humor to ease the journey. For 200 pages, this could have gone longer. The innocence and the darkness that pulls it away can only be truly expressed from those that have gone through these experiences.
I read this graphic novel, and with its perfect black and white, you have to live in the gray, breathe and share the light with love.
I just reviewed Finding the Light by Marian Henley. #FindingtheLight #NetGalley

3.5/4⭐

**ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This graphic novel made my hair stand on end in a good way.

Every person's journey is different, so I don't have much to say about this character's journey. I understand it, and I respect it. But I will say that I liked how it showed multiple aspects of this kind of experience and its impact on a victim's life.

I do have to say I liked how the change from being a kid to becoming a teenager was relatable. Also, the ending was quite moving.

Honest and raw a woman trying to find herself love herself and her son after dealing with domestic violence. An eye opening and insightful read.

Totally intense book about a woman telling her son about her own history of being raped twice. On some levels it feels superficial as many aspects of her recovery are missed but it is raw and not a topic that there is much written about and I give her credit for doing so.

4,5 stars
a raw and vulnerable memoir about a rape survivor. I've heard that the whole process of rape cases in court(?) are very dehumanizing so even though at the end the judges favored the victim, the victim would't feel like winning. and the author of this book not only experience it once, but twice. that is unimaginably brave. the illustration style is unique too, somehow it depicted the author's personality and experience nicely. cant believe that this kind of tragedy happens all the time... what a cruel world we're living in:(

Balancing motherhood and past traumas takes center stage in this sad but poignant graphic novel.

Finding Balance shows a life that has been taken advantage of by a patriarchal society. Marian’s story is real and heartbreaking, but it is told in a very matter-of-fact way. There is emotion but we get to see Marian’s healing journey without it being overtly depressing. It’s a story of hope and the promise of a new generation. Her relationship with her son was so touching and her frankness with him was so eye-opening.

I really enjoyed this read, and thought it was a powerful story with lots to say.

What a WONDERFUL graphic novel, WOW! I am so impressed with Marian's skills both as an illustrator and a storyteller. The artwork was simply stunning. The subject matter was of course also really impactful, infuriating, and emotional. This is a wonderful book and I hope with all my heart that it will be promoted by many book influencers when it comes out because it deserves to be read by as many people as possible! Thank you so much for the ARC, I adored it.

This book mines a corner of the rape literature that is seldom explored: raising a son while having a history of sexual assault. In this case, two assaults — both she reported (very rare), both went forward to prosecution (extremely rare) and one even leading to a conviction (rarer still).

Both were stranger rapes, which the justice system is far better able to handle. Both were horrifying but one was just ... well, it happened in the most unexpected place. I read a lot of books with this theme, and it haunted me.

All that said, the author tells the story with joy and humor and the rhythms of daily life. It in no way wallows in the trauma. The fact that it's hopeful might give the impression that there's a self-help angle. It's not. Instead, it's about a person with the self-awareness to know how such a history could destroy her future and taking active steps to take a different path. It takes her many years to see if the seeds she planted will grow into something positive. And we get to see it, too.

In the acknowledgements, she tells how she went through multiple ways of trying to tell this story creatively and finally found a solution here. It's clear she's got an amazingly rich perspective after approaching her story from so many angles over so many years. Because of that, I wanted more. It's a 212 page graphic novel. It could've been twice as long. Perhaps she doesn't want her son to have to read too much of her darker moments -- this is a light book, not a dark one. I get that.

I'm glad I got an advance copy to read. I'll buy the real deal when it comes out in March 2024.

TW: rape, assault, violence.

This graphic novel was freaking POWERFUL! It follows Marian as she is faced with extremely challenging situations, and how she reconciles with being raped and trust men again. And how she is making it her mission to bring a son into the world, share her story and raise him to be a male figure someone wants to look up to.

Mariana memoir was sad, happy, empowering and resilient. Seeing her grow and become a woman who is able to love and trust again, after experiencing some horrible things throughout her life. She is a brave woman for sharing her story with the world!

And the last thing I want to touch of is her art work!!! Absolutely beautiful!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful piece!