An intimate and moving graphic memoir by cartoonist Nate Fakes,
dedicated to his stepdad Ron, a larger-than-life personality who
gradually becomes affected by a rare form of dementia.
Editor's Picks, Honorable Mention at Publishers Weekly's US Book
Show
"A Fade of Light is a rare story that is both deeply heartbreaking and
heartwarming. Nate Fakes is an observant writer and artist, with a good
memory and an eye for small, revealing details. In his clear cartooning
style, Fakes shows he and his family navigating a rare disease
imperfectly but as well as they can. He captures the confusion and
frustration of knowing something's wrong but not what, of desperately
wanting to fix something that can't be fixed."
--Brian Fies, Eisner Award-winning author of Mom's Cancer
"A Fade of Light is a graphic memoir centered on [Nate] Fakes's
stepdad, Ron, who came into Nate's life in the 1990s and brought light
into their family--until progressive dementia caused Ron's own light to
begin to fade."
--Publishers Weekly, Fall 2022 Announcements: Comics & Graphic
Novels
The first time Nate met his future stepdad in the summer of 1994, he
thought Ron was nice, goofy, and kind, the type of guy who wasn't afraid
to be himself. Ron liked to honk at other Jeeps while driving his own,
bang on the drums without abandon, and order practically the whole menu
at drive-thrus. It was alternatively embarrassing, annoying, and funny,
though one thing was for sure: life with Ron was never dull.
But as years passed, Nate noticed Ron's behavior becoming erratic and
strange. He forgot obvious things and seemed more stubborn and irritable
than before. Finally Ron received a diagnosis: he has frontotemporal
dementia, a progressive disorder that affects about 10 percent of all
dementia cases. There is no cure.
Stylized in black-and-white drawings, A Fade of Light is a graphic
memoir capturing the fullness of a life well lived--the ups and downs,
the laughter and tears, the joys and heartaches, and the treasured
moments that will always be cherished, if not remembered.
