Marian Henley’s The Shiniest Jewel is a graphic memoir similar in style to Craig Thompson’s Blankets. Published by Springboard Press, Jewel is touching, real, sad, sweet and honest. Henley's drawings as well as her words tell the story of an emotional journey through a time of great change in her life. The book centers around the process of adopting a child from Russia but also follows Henley as she copes with the loss of her father, the milestone of turning 50 and the marriage to her long-time partner. Henley deals with themes of death, grief, commitment, motherhood, father/daughter issues and waiting with a delicate and refined sense of humor. Reading the book in its graphic form is a bit like watching a movie. I actually had to read it through twice to fully delve into everything Henley had to say with this work. The pictures and imagery tell one story and add balance, metaphor and significance when needed. But text is also important in moving the narrative along, and the first time reading it I was enthralled with the story line and what the outcome would be. Her use of a cartoon version of the heart to represent the emotional “heart” was a very successful element running through the novel.
Henley is a cartoonist best know for her dry, comedic character “Maxine!” The Shiniest Jewel is a departure from her cartooning in both tone and style her fans will most likely not expect what they find when they pick it up. I was pleasantly surprised by it, however, and hope we see more in the graphic novel genre from her in the future.
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