The Most Costly Journey: Stories of Migrant Farmworkers in Vermont Drawn by New England Cartoonists

This non-fiction comics anthology presents stories of survival and healing told by Latin American migrant farmworkers in Vermont, and drawn by New England cartoonists as part of the El Viaje Más Caro Project-a health care outreach effort of the Open Door Clinic and UVM Extension Bridges to Health aimed at addressing the overlooked mental health needs of these vulnerable immigrants. Originally distributed to farm workers as individual Spanish language comic books, this collected edition brings the lives and voices-as well as the challenges and hardships-of these workers to an English-language audience, granting insight into the experiences and lives of the people vital to producing the food we eat.

Featuring a foreword by Julia Alvarez (Afterlife), introduction by Stephen R. Bissette (Swamp Thing) and preface by project founder, nurse Julia Doucet, these inspiring stories grapple with issues encountered by migrant workers everywhere-isolation, separation, depression, substance abuse-even as they celebrate resilience, family, community, and the ability of each storyteller to direct their own healing narrative. The Most Costly Journey is a gripping work that draws together non-fiction cartooning, graphic medicine and ethnography, channeling the skills of health care practitioners, artists and ethnographers into helping alleviate the pain of others.

EDITED BY: Marek Bennett, Julia Grand Doucet, Andy Kolovos, & Teresa Mares

FEATURED ARTISTS: Tillie Walden / Marek Bennett / Kevin Kite / Iona Fox / Kane Lynch / Teppi Zuppo / John Carvajal / Michael Tonn / Angela Boyle / Rick Veitch / Glynnis Fawkes / Greg Giordano / Ezra Veitch / Shashwat Mishra / Michelle Sayles

FOREWORD: Julia Alvarez

PREFACE: Julia Grand Doucet

INTRODUCTION: Stephen R. Bissette

AFTERWORD: Teresa Mares & Andy Kolovos

PAGES: 252 / DIMENSIONS: 5.5"x8.5"

INTERIOR: B&W / COVER: Color

BINDING: Paperback / LANGUAGE: English

PRINT ISBN: 978-0-916718-00-8

LCCN: 2021932606