VIDEO: Brett Ryans
RONAN AND THE ENDLESS SEA OF STARS
by Rick Louis and Lara Antal
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A graphic novel memoir recounting one parent's unique and wrenching journey caring for a child with a terminal diagnosis.
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When Rick and Emily's infant son Ronan is diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, an incurable neurological disorder, they are faced with the practical and emotional hurdles of parenting and loving their son—despite the shadow of inevitable loss. Rick Louis narrates this original graphic memoir, with illustrator Lara Antal translating the space that Ronan occupies before, during, and after his life, using flights of fancy and imagination to express the bizarre, heartbreaking, and sometimes even silly reality of human beings suddenly trapped in an impossible situation.
Ronan and the Endless Sea of Stars is a story of warmth and of heartbreak—about finding joy in life, no matter how long or short that life might be.
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Praise for RONAN AND THE ENDLESS SEA OF STARS
"A spare account of a short life that will leave readers feeling both uplifted and emotionally drained."
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"Yes, Ronan made me cry, but it also made me hug my kids, and think about what I value in family and in life, and how I relate to those around me. You know, all the things the best art can inspire ... one of the year’s best works."
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"In this frank telling of a devastating ordeal, it’s the beauty of the too-brief loving moments that lingers."
"A powerful, touching, honest portrayal."
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"Louis imbues this mostly tragic narrative with earnestness, quirk and even humor, paired neatly with (often silly) illustrations of what’s going on in characters’ minds. All the while, Louis holds true to telling the story of his time with Ronan with profound sincerity, reverence and honesty. "
Finalist: Book of the Year
Finalist: Best Adult Non-Fiction
2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards
Winner: Outstanding Work of
Graphic Medicine (Long Form)
2023 Awards for Excellence in Graphic Medicine
Audio and Video
Abrams ComicArts editor
Charlotte Greenbaum interviews
Rick Louis and Lara Antal about
Ronan and the Endless Sea of Stars
at the Greenlight Bookstore in
Brooklyn, New York.
MK Czerwiec interviews
Rick Louis and Lara Antal
for the Graphic Medicine podcast
on their collaboration creating
Ronan and the Endless Sea of Stars.