Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Classism
REPRESENTATION MATTERS!!
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it sure did not disappoint!! Long-time disability rights' activist Alice Wong has written an incredibly heartfelt and honest memoir+.
More than your typical disability memoir, Alice's book is a collection of essays and interviews that touch on sooooo many important issues. She talks about her early life as a child born to Chinese immigrant parents and diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. She was constantly in and out of the hospital and had to undergo multiple surgeries. She also talks about life as a person dependent on life-saving machines, government assistance and the importance of authentic representation in media.
What I really connected with though was Alice's experiences as a person dependent on a ventilator and later a feeding tube, who was particularly vulnerable during the pandemic. Few people truly understand the precarious position those of us who were under 65 but still incredibly high-risk faced while waiting to get vaccines that could mean the difference between life or death.
In my opinion this was one of the best books about ableism and living with a disability. I particularly enjoyed the essays on her life in high school, being denied theatre classes because the teacher didn't even give her the chance to participate or fighting for funding for necessary support workers.
A must read for anyone who has dealt with similar issues or anyone who wants to better understand what a significant portion of the population has to deal with on a regular basis as funding for people with disabilities continues to decline and come under attack.
Much thanks to @PRHAudio, NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Favorite quotes:
"There's something incredibly affirming about seeing yourself reflected in popular culture."
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it sure did not disappoint!! Long-time disability rights' activist Alice Wong has written an incredibly heartfelt and honest memoir+.
More than your typical disability memoir, Alice's book is a collection of essays and interviews that touch on sooooo many important issues. She talks about her early life as a child born to Chinese immigrant parents and diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. She was constantly in and out of the hospital and had to undergo multiple surgeries. She also talks about life as a person dependent on life-saving machines, government assistance and the importance of authentic representation in media.
What I really connected with though was Alice's experiences as a person dependent on a ventilator and later a feeding tube, who was particularly vulnerable during the pandemic. Few people truly understand the precarious position those of us who were under 65 but still incredibly high-risk faced while waiting to get vaccines that could mean the difference between life or death.
In my opinion this was one of the best books about ableism and living with a disability. I particularly enjoyed the essays on her life in high school, being denied theatre classes because the teacher didn't even give her the chance to participate or fighting for funding for necessary support workers.
A must read for anyone who has dealt with similar issues or anyone who wants to better understand what a significant portion of the population has to deal with on a regular basis as funding for people with disabilities continues to decline and come under attack.
Much thanks to @PRHAudio, NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Favorite quotes:
"There's something incredibly affirming about seeing yourself reflected in popular culture."
~ 5.0 ~
I love this book so much!!! Alice Wong is truly an indelible force - her work through the Disability Visibility project has had a deep & widespread impact. I admire her devotion to storytelling and making space for disabled voices to be heard. She is unapologetic and ambitious in her activism, but this memoir is about more than her work. We are also given a window into her friendships, childhood memories, educational journey, and love of food and cats. Also she is damn funny! The innovative format includes personal essays, interview transcripts, photographs, memes, texting/Twitter threads, recipes, fun graphics, and thought-provoking artwork. Highly recommend to disabled & non-disabled readers alike!
I love this book so much!!! Alice Wong is truly an indelible force - her work through the Disability Visibility project has had a deep & widespread impact. I admire her devotion to storytelling and making space for disabled voices to be heard. She is unapologetic and ambitious in her activism, but this memoir is about more than her work. We are also given a window into her friendships, childhood memories, educational journey, and love of food and cats. Also she is damn funny! The innovative format includes personal essays, interview transcripts, photographs, memes, texting/Twitter threads, recipes, fun graphics, and thought-provoking artwork. Highly recommend to disabled & non-disabled readers alike!