There are many traditions around the world that have been carried on for hundreds of generations.  Some of those traditions like jumping the broom, though borne from slavery, is still reenacted today in many African-American Weddings. Then there is Quinceanera, where young ladies all over Latin America celebrate their 15^th birthday. In China, men must carry their pregnant wives over pans of burning coal when they enter their house for the first time.

These are all examples of often joyous if not particular rituals that have been carried from family to family through decades. Then there the cruel ones such as female genital mutilation, that despite its barbaric roots, is still being perpetrated all over the over the world. This tradition, brings light to a world where women are devalued by men and the world in general. In Zidrou and Raphaël Beuchot’s A Little Piece of Her, we’re taken into a specific couple’s struggle with this ritual and how far they will go for each other.

We meet Yu Kiang, an idealistic contractor who works and lives in the Congo, as his company cuts wood for the government. We also meet the love of his life, Antoinette and her children, the oldest of the two, Marie, who has grown to love him just as much as her mother. One night while sleeping in the same bed, Yu finds a shameful secret from Antoinette’s youth, one that wounds her to now, and one she hopes Marie will never face. By book’s end, Yu saves Marie before its too late and create life of their own, back in China.

Overall, a moving love story which will have you both crying, rooting for our heroes, and falling in love with this couple and her daughter. The story by Zidrou and Beuchot is heartfelt and beautiful. The art by Beuchot is gorgeous. Altogether, a tale which combines significance of modern issues with a true love story

Story: Zidrou and Raphaël Beuchot Art: Raphael Beuchot
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy