Reviews with content warning for Racism - Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected

Nnedi Okorafor is one of my favorite authors because of her incredible creativity and ability to bend reality just enough to touch magic. Magical realism is a tough middle ground to convey well and she does it repeatedly. For those that are fans of the genre, I’d recommend Nnedi’s books every time.

It wasn’t until this week though, when I took my “fiction” filter off my Libby search settings, that I came across Nnedi’s autobiography. It’s a quick read, just about two hours in audio book, but it hooked me completely. I realize now how little I knew about an author whose work I have cherished and adding this layer of knowledge has been so insightful.

The autobiography takes you through her lifelong battle with scoliosis and a surgery complication that pivots her life from college track star to a paralyzed young woman who is experiencing psychedelic hallucinations while in medical care. Her perspective on life and the way she made brave and bold choices to find her path, despite physical setbacks and racism she experienced, was moving. Even if you aren’t a fan of science fiction, or if you haven’t read a book by Nnedi before, I still highly suggest this quick read for the life lessons and perspectives it offers.

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arcinzole's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Listened to the audiobook read by the author. Her voice is so soothing!

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translove's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective slow-paced

4.5

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maisierosereads's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0

Broken Places & Outdoor Spaces is an interesting brief look at the author's experiences as a disabled Black girl & woman in the USA, and her route into creative writing. While I haven't had the opportunity to read any of Nnedi Okorafor's fictional writing yet, several of her books are on my TBR and I feel that I will be able to appreciate her writing more knowing the context covered by this book.

It is worth noting that some of the language used (e.g. wheelchair-bound) is not generally used by the disabled community today, and an emphasis on the medical model of disability over the (generally preferred) social model. I'm not sure whether these writing choices come from the fact that Okorafor started writing this book in the 90s, Okorafor's own perceptions of her experiences, or something else entirely. I would always recommend reading perspectives from a range of disabled people (there is no such thing as "the universal disabled experience" after all!) but I would definitely recommend that if this is your first time reading a memoir about disability.

Content warnings: medical content, medical trauma, ableism, anti-Black racism, anti-Black racist slurs, hallucinations (from prescribed opioid medications)

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