The Last Time We Spoke
In The Last Time We Spoke, the author opens with an encounter. A woman on the train resembles his mother so much that he starts to believe it is her – except that his mother cannot be there. She died when he was 14, and when she was just 49. This is the power of grief – the way memories of a lost loved one can strike at any time and be strong enough to envision them there.
Mechanic describes the time before his mother’s death as a time filled with doctors and experimental treatments – something he says was like “flailing while standing still, screaming on mute.” But there are times of joy amid the hardest times, too. The author chases geckos with his sister while in the Bahamas- looking for all the world like a family on vacation when really they are there for another special treatment. Soon the moment is shattered, though, as his father breaks the news that there are no treatments left to do and the family has to come to terms with impending loss. As the book moves back and forth in time, it touches on the anticipatory grief of watching cancer consume his mother before returning to a present day marked by her absence. In between, in the aftermath of his mother’s death, the author also receives a diagnosis of ADHD and OCD.
Structured unlike a typical graphic novel, the words and images blend here. Sometimes, the font is large, and images make their way inside of it. Other times, the images stand up next to a block of text to complement it.
While the ground covered isn’t necessarily new ground in the discussion of grief or mental illness, Mechanic’s experience is both his own and relatable. Readers who have experienced the death of a parent or loved one will recognize themselves in his journey, and in statements like “it doesn’t take long to realize all you took for granted.” This book may be for you if you gravitate to adult graphic novel memoirs like Tyler Feder’s Dancing At The Pity Party or It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood.
The Last Time We Spoke Vol.
By Jesse Mechanic
Street Noise Books, 2025
ISBN: 9781951491420
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
