A review by emilyinherhead
Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim by Leah Vernon

4.0

Leah Vernon is not someone I knew of before picking up this memoir, but I immediately fell in love with her and her voice. Growing up was not easy for her, but despite a mostly absent and occasionally outright cruel father, an emotionally distant and unstable mother, a fat body that didn't fit the societal standard of the model she wanted to be, and a religious identity that has continually brought distrust and animosity from other people, Vernon has ultimately thrived. She has carved out a space for herself and others like her in the fashion and blogging worlds, and she is helping to change the mainstream idea of what is considered beautiful, fashionable, and fierce. I really enjoyed getting to know her through reading about her life thus far, and I'll be looking forward to more from her in the future!

(Read Harder challenge #12: A memoir by someone from a religious tradition, or lack thereof, that is not your own)