Cover Image: Kid Gloves

Kid Gloves

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Member Reviews

So so so good. She manages to cover women’s health, pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood with honesty, humor, and love. I needed to read this book ❤ highly recommend.

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So awesome.

A fan of "Relish" and a big booster of her storytelling talent - I've sold a few patrons on Ms. Knisley's brand of
humor and self-discovery. "Kid Gloves" doesn't disappoint.

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I've been a huge fan of Lucy Knisley after reading Something New and devoured her previous works, so I was super excited to read about her perspective through pregnancy. Lucy has such a vivid way of describing feelings and emotions, and makes her world through her drawings. Kid Gloves is a down-to-Earth story about what society has told us about pregnancy and the truth that Lucy found in her own pregnancy journey. She intermixed history and fun facts with her every day life and emotions she was feeling as she went through miscarriages and loss and a traumatic end to her pregnancy with her first born. I was super excited for this book and was not let down at all. I finished it in three days and can't wait to get my hand on it again when it comes out in print. I would recommend this to any one interested in pregnancy, children or but honestly, it's really for everyone. You don't have to be a mother or even a woman to find this book interesting, it's a human story brought to life.

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I really enjoyed this book. The artwork is great. The flow and pace of the story were good. I loved getting this peak at one woman's experience with pregnancy and birth. The history and informatinal sections were interesting as well.

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Oh my gosh, this was gorgeous. I'm a long-time Lucy Knisley fan, so I didn't expect anything less than wonderful, but I was unprepared for how far beyond wonderful this was. I don't quite know what else to say about; it's one woman's experience with pregnancy and childbirth, with interstitial sections about pregnancy and birth in general. And it's just great. Just great.

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A beautiful perspective on the process of birth from the start of trying to conceive, miscarriages, up and down emotional rollercoaster, the welcoming of Pal and the difficulties that the author faced during birth. I was humorous and serious at the same time. I felt like I could relate to the author's journey as I prepare to take on a similar journey myself.

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Lucy Knisley is my all-time favorite cartoonist, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book since she announced her pregnancy. I was thrilled to see it available on NetGalley, and it was everything I hoped it would be. (Aside from more about Pal himself, but that’s forthcoming, so I can’t be mad!) Lucy is always thoughtful, funny, smart, and socially conscious, and seeing her apply these things to pregnancy was fantastic. It wasn’t easy for her at any step of the process, so her willingness to share her story with such honesty and emotion is all the more admirable. I learned a lot, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of the book. For now, I’ll settle for her Instagram posts of Pal. Such a cool family.

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As someone without kids and generally irritated about the whole hubbub about them, I found this book way more interesting than I thought I would. I always enjoy Lucy Knisley's graphic novels and her clever illustrations always connect with me. I especially enjoyed the historic bits, too, and that made me think of the whole process of reproduction as a different kind of feminine power - like the 1970s hope last calling the women goddesses. I'm coming around to the idea and I think this book should be required reading for all women.

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I’ve read all Lucy’s books and I enjoy her writing style and artwork. This book was something new for Lucy, while it was still about a personal journey to become pregnant and give birth, it also successfully infused information, research, and popular misconceptions. While everyone’s baby journey is completely different, Lucy acknowledges what is depicted as an easy process in the media, isn’t always easy in real life. Realistically conception and childbirth is a struggle for most couples, both physically and mentally. People feel like something is wrong with them when things don’t go right, but the more we talk about taboo subjects, it becomes a reality that having children isn’t easy.

The book works for teens because of the educational components within a personal story. It also works for adults who can agree that so many important things aren’t talked about like the statistics for miscarriages and America’s maternal mortality rate which is the highest in any developed nation. I’m glad I read this because I learned a lot and related to some of Lucy’s journey. While her story is pretty dramatic, I became completely attached and can’t wait for the next story about her family.

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Lucy Knisley's Kid Gloves is a welcome addition to the women's health graphic novel/memoir arena. As she did in her previous books, Knisley brings warmth, humor, sensitivity and nuance to Kid Gloves, which explores pregnancy, infertility struggles, and birth. Knisley deftly weaves in historical details to explain the development of many medical devices and treatments while also writing the personal narrative of her own experience with the medical system. One of the more moving parts of the book evaluates different "myths" that well-meaning people in Knisley's life cite as reasons for miscarriage and infertility. I found this section, as well as a later chapter on "natural birth" well-researched and balanced. This book would be a great resource for a women's health/pregnancy or graphic medicine course for undergrads or medical students. I'm already looking forward to Knisley's next book.

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This book is so important. I’m a fan of Lucy Knisely’s style and the way she honestly shares her thinking about life. She’s got humor, relatable concerns and low moments, and yet, she finds the human connection love spots in all of her work that make you see the big picture and feel grounded. I am going to need to read or watch something else before going to be tonight though (her birth story was particularly nerve wracking and harrowing), but all in all I’m incredibly grateful she made a a graphic novel about her experience getting pregnant.

I’m also just so impressed that she got this project done, infused so much research, and reflected so thoughtfully. Another solid piece of work that is refreshingly feminist and different than what is out there. Thanks, Lucy!

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I 100% loved and would recommend this. I related to it SO MUCH. I just gave birth to my daughter just under 4 months ago. And while my experience wasn't exactly the same as the authors, there were many events/hardships/points where I went though something incredibly similar. Because I related to her journey of infertility, pregnancy, and delivery so much, I was very emotional while reading this.

It was awesome to get an actual history on women's health throughout this novel. And because the author is not shy about really detailing what she went through and because of her illustrations depicting her sadness and frustrations, I connected with all of it even more. It was also great to know I'm not alone in my experiences, and to know that others have/had the same doubts, struggles, and anxieties as me. It was kind of a cathartic read.

I will definitely be sharing this with my loved ones who are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or have just had a baby. Once it comes out that is... the release date isn't until like January!

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This graphic memoir was heartbreaking, exciting, and joyous. Knisley showed us her most vulnerable self in an exceedingly accessible manner. Her frank discussion about the difficulties of conception along with losing a pregnancy even in the early stages is refreshing. She doesn't hide how she felt or her struggles she lays them out allowing others to share their own experiences.

Having never gone through pregnancy or the process of trying to conceive, this book was also frankly terrifying. Though it will take up space on my shelf for when I do decide to go through that process to remember that it may not be easy but I am not alone.

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An unflinching look at the ups and downs of pregnancy and childbirth, pointing out specifics about how the medical community is failing women (especially in America), but still filled with Knisley's quirk and humor.

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An important and moving book that's certain to be an Eisner contender for 2019. Knisley does a beautiful job of connecting her personal story with contemporary and historical perspectives on pregnancy.

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The most honest, comprehensive revealing and helpful book on pregnancy, miscarriages, birth, breastfeeding and everything in between that has ever been written. I wish I had had this book as I was leveled with morning sickness for 9 months. We need more books like this that are brutally and lovingly honest.

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::SPOILER AHEAD::

This book is fantastic! I recommend it for those who are looking to get pregnant, those currently pregnant, and those who could not get pregnant. I'm in the last class. To me, this book spoke volumes. An comic that deals with both pregnancy and miscarriage is a rare and wonderful gem. It also touches upon the history of women's health, a subject that is never taught in school.

My only question is, why didn't Lucy seek another opinion? If you had symptoms and you expressed that the doctor shrugged off everything you said, why not go to another doctor for a second opinion? Not that it matters now. It's in the past. But perhaps the author's experience can help other women who are going through the same thing.

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Kid Gloves is the latest memoir from cartoonist Lucy Knisley. Knisley is known for her highly personal and relatable comics, and Kid Gloves is no exception. Kid Gloves traces Lucy's pregnancy journey through every step, from a heartbreaking miscarriage to the pregnancy experience and birth of her son Pal. While there are some very tragic and frightening events in this journey, Kid Gloves is full of humor. Reading it is like talking to a close friend. Knisley doesn't pretend to speak for anyone except her own personal experiences. There is no judgement from her if people decide to have kids or not- it's what she and her husband John wanted for their life. I was absolutely charmed by this book, already being a fan of her work from reading Relish several years ago. A sweet, hilarious, beautiful book.

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I am a huge fan of Lucy Knisley's work, so obviously I jumped at the chance to read Kid Gloves before its release. I wasn't entirely sure whether I would be super interested in the subject matter (I don't plan on having kids and have never really had the desire to research babies), but I assumed that Knisley would create a wonderful book that would engage me, anyway.

I should never have even SLIGHTLY doubted Knisley - this book is amazingly drawn/created, the facts inside are fascinating and sometimes anger-inducing (feminist rights being stomped all over in the past, etc.), and her writing had me in tears about two times during the course of reading this book (and, yes, I read it all in one sitting, so a LOT of tears were shed that day). Knisley's combination of research, engaging art, and tales from her own life works so well I can understand why I fell in love so hard with this book, too.

I read and ecopy of this book from NetGalley (and First Second Books - thank you so much, guys!), and that means... I may have to get a physical copy when this comes out to put on my Lucy Knisley shelf. Lucy Knisley - you are a very very good human. Thank you.

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I have always been a fan of Lucy Knisley, and this book is a great addition to her series of journal comics. Journal is a good way to describe this -- there is no real "story arc" aside from becoming pregnant, going through pregnancy, and having a baby. It's a simple story, but a very familiar one, and she covers a lot of areas that are often missed and overlooked. In particular what stuck with me was the history of male doctors overlooking women's insight, which continues to present day and is something Lucy herself experiences. As always, great illustrations and fully rounded. Like a letter from a friend.

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