From an early age, Laurada Byers questioned her sense of self. A series of crises including the murder of her husband while she stood mere feet away, and bouts with cancer, Parkinson’s and PTSD, cast that doubt in a new, terrifying urgency. Suddenly, instead of feeling daunted by endless possibility, Laurada became paralyzed by a fear that she had no choice- she was always destined for tragedy.

Revisiting key turning points at various life stages, Laurada came to realize that her afflictions were not in fact the defining moments of her life. Where she ultimately finds freedom is in her reactions to these traumatic events. Laurada reveals how she found her footing through grief, and discovered her true identity in her resilience. Her story is captured through the movements of a scrappy warthog on the ruthless African savanna – who, full of warts and full of flaws, climbs out of its hole to face life head on-- with tail up!

Wild Wisdom—A Warthog’s Tale is a beautifully illustrated graphic memoir that describes an uncommon life and the universal epiphanies that emerged from its hardships. Filled with humorously digestible visions of personal transformation, inspiration for overcoming obstacles, and love after loss, its rare honesty and grit is motivation for anyone who’s ever wallowed in the mud (and sometimes even enjoyed it).