A review by psalva
I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir by Maurice Vellekoop

4.0

This took me a long time to read, esp. for a graphic novel. Vellekoop uses the graphic memoir format to chronicle his life, growing up in a conservative Christian family, his growth into an artist and his coming out/dating experiences. Most of the second half draws on his long-term struggles with depression, as well as his journey to eventual self-acceptance and expression in middle age. There are long scenes lifted from counseling sessions. The depiction of his experience with therapy, despair, and depression are raw and chaotic- in other words, quite realistic to my eyes. This made for a drawn out reading experience. In the end there is happiness for Vellekoop but I almost didn’t want to go through the airing of his trauma to get there. I’m glad I read his- the art and color are outstanding- but I don’t think this is for everyone.