You'll Never Know Book Three: "Soldier's Heart" (Vol. 3)  (You'll Never Know)
In this conclusion to Tyler’s acclaimed trilogy exploring her father’s WWII experiences and their repercussions on her other family members, she continues her quest to unravel the stubborn veteran’s combat experiences, which he’s unable to recall and unwilling to try. Concurrently, she cares for her teenage daughter, diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and works to restore her marriage after a long separation. Tyler leavens the mounting crises and pressures with wry humor and clearheaded observations. As always, her watercolor-laced ink drawings are casually elegant and quietly effective. When Tyler turns from visuals to prose, she proves equally potent; a handwritten journal of a road trip taken with her parents is simultaneously hilarious and touching. The story reaches its poignant conclusion at the National WWII Memorial in Washington, where Tyler relates how her father’s “soldier’s heart”—a Civil War–era term for shell shock, or what’s now known as post-traumatic stress disorder—“cracked wide open.” Tyler’s memoir ends up as a persuasive testament to the redemptive power of healing. --Gordon Flagg