Life from the eyes of a long-term care nurse. She and her fellow nurses are sometimes the only people the residents get to see. They become family to them and care for them until the very end.
Estelle has been on the job so long that she feels like every time she gets close, someone dies and she must start again.

A beautiful and touching story. Read this then go call your mother or grandfather. An emotional ride of memory, regret, and respect.

Thanks to @netgalley, Europe Comics, and Quentin Zuttion for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book was so lovely and unlike any graphic novel I've read before. The story is very touching and unique. I've never read anything where the main character worked with the elderly and it was interesting to see how that affected the main character. All the side characters were very fleshed out as well. The art style was very simplistic and clean, I felt like it complimented the story very well.

trigger warning
<spoiler> death, grief </spoiler>

Story about a nursery home employee and her daily life.

I rarely dnf a graphic novel, but the lettering in this one is very, very faint. I toggled with the options in the reader as much as I could, but my eyes hurt from the strain of making out the words.

The illustrations are in a muted blue, very calm and sad.
I'd have liked to read on, but under these circumstances, I'll just hurt myself.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

A lengthy and yet quickly-read watercoloured graphic novel, focusing on some small selection of young female nurses at a care home for those of a more senile disposition. While coming down on neither side of such institutions, pro or anti, it suggests the young women might be spending too much of the love they have to give at work – outside they're on Tinder and not getting anywhere, or alienating their boyfriends with their shift patterns and how they feel for their elderly clients, or clubbing with each other and not really moving their life on that way.

Meanwhile, I'll leave it unsaid as to whether the older people are more or less lucid when they seem to see the younger versions of themselves in the mirror – and who is this Eva that one of them talks about constantly? Visually, the artist likes a fair bit of such tricksiness – superimposing the youth long gone back onto the older face, or indeed the other way round. In light of that it's a reasonably dreamy, elegiac piece – but for many its subject matter and approach will both make this a lot less of an entertainment than they'd prefer. But you do have to stick around for an ending that bumps the star rating up very impressively.

It's a bit of a flat story - the nurse tends to the old people at the home and that's that. It introduces the premise then stays there without really going anywhere until the very end. And even then it's kinda weird - one of those "was it all in her head?" endings. The writing is ok, the story is a bit dull, the watercolour art is nice, but it just never really came together for me.

First up, thank you for allowing me to read this book. And while it was interesting/good and I loved the art, I just cannot read this one any further because the font just isn't right/good. It is very hard to read and zooming in only makes it worse. If I see this book in the library (hopefully someone translates it given how our libraries don't often add English books) so I can read it! Because again, it was interesting and good and if the font was clearer I would have continued on and probably rated this one 4 stars.

Beautiful artwork and story of a conflicted nurse at an old age home. Sad but realistic and fun. Loved the old man playing Animal Crossing with his granddaughter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The White Lady by Quentin Zuttion is an adult graphic novel about memories, life, and death. The story revolves around Estelle, a nurse at an elderly residential center. According to the description, "dealing with their unfulfilled dreams and lonely final moments is no easy task." What will Estelle learn about the residents and their lives before they pass?

Overall, The White Lady is an interesting graphic novel that makes you really think about life. It will appeal to fans of Big Fish, the movie. One highlight of this book is the gorgeous art. The art style is watercolor with various shades of blue and pops of red and yellow on a few pages. Honestly, it's worth reading this book just for the art. I enjoyed the art more than the story, and just because of the art, I'm giving this graphic novel 5 stars. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of graphic novels, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

The art style is what drew me to this graphic novel and it did not disappoint. Not only is it beautifully crafted but it tackles a very heavy subject in a seamless way. It's very emotional, and it got me thinking about memory, death, grief and the way a person griefs.

I didn't love the art style, even though the pops of colours between the cool blues were mesmerizing, but the poignant story is truly touching. Respectfully written, it addresses difficult topics such as death, ageing, dementia and mental health struggles. The main character, Estelle, is a kind and empathetic nurse in an assisted living centre, but the work eventually takes a toll on her, especially every time she loses the people she, very literally, cares for. In the end, those people were her family too, and will always be a part of her life and her most precious memories. Without making spoilers, I think that's why the end is so fitting, although surprising.

Estelle is a nurse at a retirement home community. She spends her days taking care of the residents there, making sure they are healthy, but also making sure they're happy. Estelle feels very strongly towards her patients, but it is not an easy job. Working with young people and older people is kind of two sides of the same coin - both jobs are taxing but can be very rewarding. I empathized with Estelle's empathy for her patients. She copes with their quirks, their struggles, and eventually their deaths the best way she can. But it takes a toll on her. The art style in this book took some getting used to, but the cool blues and pops of color offer a unique vision.

3.5 stars

Estelle works in a care home for elders. This poignant story deals with death, aging, dementia, Estelle’s relationships with the residents, & her own coming to terms with the fact that one day she’ll age & die too. This is respectfully written & I found it touching.

[What I liked:]

•Estelle is a sympathetic MC. She obviously cares a lot about her patients, but feels torn on how best to help them without getting too emotionally involved or interfering in an unethical way.

•My grandmother, who I’m very close to, is in the late stages of dementia & so much in this book is familiar. I appreciate how the difficult bits aren’t glossed over, but it’s still discussed in a mostly respectful way. Dementia is a strange & terrible disease, & unfortunately there’s no way to convince a dementia sufferer that their delusions aren’t real; all you can do is try to reassure them that they’re safe & not alone, which is Estelle’s approach.

•The ending is rather fitting, & brings things full circle.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I wasn’t a huge fan of the art (except the close ups on faces, those were striking). It’s not bad, just not to my taste. Monochrome watercolor wash over ink sketches, kinda blurry & vague.

CW: death, dementia, assisted suicide

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Wow. This was a lot. I should preface my review by saying I’m a nurse at an assisted living like Estelle. I felt her connection to her residents and my hurt heart for her with each death. It’s such a difficult job to not get attached to each person you care for. I felt the love she felt for her people and how tiring it was to love so much. She was a beautiful character who just wanted to help. The way she’d do anything to keep her resident comfortable and happy, even if the family rejected her help. I was enthralled by the story and the art work was stunning. The ending was a surprising closure, but felt like a fitting end.