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A review by kaitrates
Weightless: Making Space for My Resilient Body and Soul by Evette Dionne
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I'm glad this book exists and that I read it. It ties together many disparate threads in a way that feels cohesive. It looks at the issues it tackles (namely: fatphobia, racism, and ableism and their intersection) on multiple levels and with plenty of personal and societal examples (both research and media).
And also...
I found myself increasingly frustrated by it, wanting more depth from many chapters (especially the one on COVID), and wishing that its discussion of chronic illness was positioned alongside fatness and Blackness in the marketing and discussions of the book.
One thing that I appreciated AND was very hard to read was when Dionne shone a light on where her internalised fatphobia shows/showed up. This is SO very real and I feel like you don't often see this written about when its the reality for many of us. Sharing this part of her story plainly was very powerful and very hard.
I've noticed for myself and other reviews that part of me wanted more of a self-help book....more lessons to take away. And while there were some, no step by step process was outlined. I'm investigating this desire within myself and tracing its roots
Overall, I'm grateful to feel less alone and to have synthesised many different bits of information and experience I have—even as it made for challenging and very triggering reading, at times.
And also...
I found myself increasingly frustrated by it, wanting more depth from many chapters (especially the one on COVID), and wishing that its discussion of chronic illness was positioned alongside fatness and Blackness in the marketing and discussions of the book.
One thing that I appreciated AND was very hard to read was when Dionne shone a light on where her internalised fatphobia shows/showed up. This is SO very real and I feel like you don't often see this written about when its the reality for many of us. Sharing this part of her story plainly was very powerful and very hard.
I've noticed for myself and other reviews that part of me wanted more of a self-help book....more lessons to take away. And while there were some, no step by step process was outlined. I'm investigating this desire within myself and tracing its roots
Overall, I'm grateful to feel less alone and to have synthesised many different bits of information and experience I have—even as it made for challenging and very triggering reading, at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, and Mental illness