★ A moving new graphic novel from acclaimed Spanish artist Alfonso Casas, following his bestselling All the People I Have Been. This time, he faces the “monster” that only appeared after his mother's passing. A story that begins with an ending and ends with a beginning.
★ “There are only two certainties in life: we all have a mother, and we will all die. Now they have collided, and I must find a way to survive the impact.” This is not a book about death – it is about life; about learning to live with absence, and about raising a glass to the time we shared.
★ Based on his own experience, Casas uses images to convey emotions that words cannot fully express. His previous book touched countless readers; Rose goes deeper – capturing the universal pain of loss while quietly honouring a very personal farewell.

In this graphic novel, the author recounts his real journey from the moment he learned of his mother's illness, through her passing, and into the long process of mourning that followed. There is no grand narrative here, only small moments: an empty chair, a phone that will never ring again, an absence at the holiday table. With two-colour illustrations and spare text, Casas maps the stages of grief, eventually arriving at a quiet acceptance: learning to live with the absence of a loved one is itself a celebration of life.

This book is not only a journey back into memory, but also a form of self-companionship – and a companion for every reader facing one of life's most universal experiences: learning to say goodbye.

Every page of this book is both a lament for a mother lost and a tribute to the life she lived. This story is dedicated to her, and to all who carry a similar grief.

“There are two certainties in life. One: we all have a mother. Two: we will all die. Now the only certainties in my life have collided, and I must find a way to survive the impact.”

Alfonso Casas
One of Spain's most important graphic novelists and illustrators, with cumulative sales exceeding 100,000 copies in Spain. His illustrated biography Freddie Mercury: A Biography achieved massive international success, with rights sold to 13 countries.

Casas's earliest memories are of holding a paintbrush with comics piled around him. He loves books, and his work focuses primarily on publishing, while also having worked as an advertising illustrator. He is the writer and illustrator of multiple comics, including Tiny Loves, which was adapted into a play, and The End of All Augusts, which received wide acclaim. He has also authored Emotional Monologues, Freddie Mercury: A Biography, and other works.

Casas's works have been translated into 12 languages, and he has over 500,000 followers on Instagram. Readers describe his work as "saying everything with just one illustration." Healing, touching, embracing, these are the shared feelings of countless readers as they turn his pages.