Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution - Paperback

Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution

As young girls in Cairo, Anna and Layla strike up an unlikely friendship that crosses class, cultural, and religious divides. Years later, Anna learns that she may carry the hereditary cancer gene responsible for her mother's death. Meanwhile, Layla's family is faced with a difficult decision about kidney transplantation. Their friendship is put to the test when these medical crises reveal stark differences in their perspectives...until revolutionary unrest in Egypt changes their lives forever.

Anthropological Research Meets Visual Storytelling

The first book in a new series, Lissa brings anthropological research to life in comic form, combining scholarly insights and accessible, visually-rich storytelling to foster greater understanding of global politics, inequalities, and solidarity. This ethnographic graphic novel explores complex themes of medical ethics, healthcare access, and cross-cultural relationships through compelling narrative and illustration.

A Story of Two Women and Revolutionary Egypt

Set against the backdrop of Cairo and Egypt's revolutionary period, this graphic novel examines how medical decisions intersect with class, religion, and cultural identity. Through Anna and Layla's friendship, readers witness the stark realities of healthcare inequalities and the ethical dilemmas surrounding genetic testing and organ transplantation. The narrative weaves together personal medical crises with broader social and political upheaval, creating a powerful exploration of solidarity and difference.

About the Authors

Sherine Hamdy is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. She is currently writing a young-adult graphic novel that tells the coming-of-age story of a Muslim-American woman. Coleman Nye is Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies at Simon Fraser University. She was born and raised in Virginia, but now lives in Vancouver, BC. Caroline Brewer graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2016 with a degree in Illustration and a concentration in Literary Arts + Studies. They are the author of Autodesk's science fiction anthology FOUR. Currently living in Brooklyn, NY, their work explores themes of childhood, gender, love, and the magically real. Sarula Bao graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2016 with a BFA in Illustration. Based in Brooklyn, NY, her sequential work explores the queer Chinese-American experience.