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Characters and authors with disabilities
Celebrating stories and storytellers that spotlight characters with disabilities.
Published on July 7, 2023
Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It
Greg MarshallInsightful, goofy, and full of love, Marshall’s coming-of-age memoir chronicles the story of a young man living two secret lives: he’s a closeted gay kid growing up with a limp in Utah, and, unbeknownst to him, he has cerebral palsy (CP). Hoping to spare him from labels and discrimination, his parents hide his CP diagnosis from him until he’s an adult. “Kirkus Reviews” calls it, “A sparkling portrait of personal discovery and a celebration of family, forgiveness, and thriving with a disability.”
Get a Life, Chloe Brown: A Novel
Talia HibbertAuthor Hibbert, who has fibromyalgia and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, writes sexy, diverse rom-coms. Her heroine in “Get a Life, Chloe Brown” is a plus-sized woman of color suffering from chronic pain — and determined to let none of those factors hold her back. Chloe puts fun on her agenda by making a to-do list of rebellious activities — and attaches herself to biker Redford for a hilarious ride. Of course, Red is more than happy to oblige some of Chloe’s sexier to-dos, making this playful romance a SpicyTok favorite on BookTok.
History Is All You Left Me
Adam SilveraSilvera, YA author of BookTok favorite “They Both Die at the End,” delivers a compassionate portrait of losing a loved one and living with OCD. When Griffin’s first love Theo dies in a drowning accident, the only person who can relate is Theo’s most recent boyfriend, Jackson. Can they help each other let go of history and embrace today?
The Making of Yolanda la Bruja
Lorraine AvilaYolanda Alvarez sees foreboding visions when a new student arrives at Julia De Burgos High School, and she must draw on the wisdom of her family, friends, and bruja ancestors to prevent the worst. Avila uses Yolanda’s singular voice as a Deaf, queer, Afro Latina teen to explore vital themes like gun violence in America and how certain perspectives are ignored. This celebrated YA novel speaks volumes about community and legacy.
The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me
The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me
Keah BrownBrown has inspired plenty of love through the hashtag #DisabledAndCute. As a Black woman living with cerebral palsy, Brown challenges common misconceptions about people with disabilities and people of color, all with humor and kindness and large helpings of pop culture references. Read her memoir and check out her new YA novel, “The Secret Summer Promise,” starring a main character with CP.
Six of Crows
Leigh BardugoWhile “Shadow and Bone” steals a lot of the spotlight (fitting for the Sun Summoner), fans on BookTok and elsewhere know the true gem of the Grishaverse lies at the bottom of The Barrel with Kaz Brekker’s crew of misfits. An underworld mastermind, Kaz uses a cane to walk and wield as a weapon (inspired by Bardugo, who sometimes relies on a cane due to her osteonecrosis). “Disability in Kidlit” commends how “‘Six of Crows’ portrays disability with incredible nuance; it’s realistic, respectful, and perfectly integrated into the characters and story.”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark HaddonThe title of this gem comes from a Sherlock Holmes quote, so it’s a fitting name for a highly-acclaimed mystery. When Christopher, a 15-year-old math genius with autism, discovers his neighbor’s dog has been killed, he starts investigating who committed the murder. The narration is inventive and subtly funny, and it opens readers’ eyes to Christopher’s rich inner-world.
Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles
Marissa MeyerCinderella (now known by the much cooler name, Linh Cinder) is a cyborg in this fantastic, futuristic amalgamation of fairy tale retellings, sci-fi adventures, and romantic intrigue. As an Asian mechanic with a prosthetic hand and leg, Cinder is an inclusive hero that anyone can rally around.
Love from A to Z
S. K. AliAnger, love, and loss play heavily in this coming-of-age romance with genre-defying depth. Zayneb, a hijabi teenager facing discrimination from her Islamaphobic teacher, meets Adam, a grieving college student with multiple sclerosis, on a plane to Doha, Qatar. They bond over the shared struggle to find their place in the world. Ali continues their story in this book’s sequel, “Love from Mecca to Medina.”
Brave Enough
Kati GardnerBallerina Cason Martin is a standout dancer, and the youngest in history at her professional ballet company. But she’s hiding an injury that puts her career in jeopardy — and her family, since her domineering mother is also the ballet company’s artistic director. When Cason’s path crosses with a newly sober cancer survivor, they form an unlikely bond — not quite a friendship — as they both navigate uncertain futures. This moving YA novel was inspired by the author’s experiences as a childhood cancer survivor and amputee.
Venom & Vow
Anna-Marie McLemoreA transgender prince and a bigender lady-in-waiting slash boy assassin must put aside a personal feud to protect their warring kingdoms from a common enemy. This fantasy novel balances political intrigue with enemies-to-lovers romance. Plus, the representation is unmatched, both for gender identities and disabilities (both main characters deal with chronic pain and use a cane).
Good Kings Bad Kings
Susan NussbaumNussbaum was a playwright and actor before turning to disability activism, a passion sparked by a car accident that left the artist needing a wheelchair at age 24. Called a “delight” and “ferociously talented” by the Chicago Tribune, Nussbaum used her artistry to tell authentic stories and represent those often overlooked. This is clear in PEN/Bellwether Prize-winning “Good Kings Bad Kings,” a novel that follows a group of young residents at a center for the disabled.
Thank You for Your Service
David FinkelFinkel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (“Good Soldiers”), delves into the private battles soldiers face when they return home from war. Their captivating stories shed light on PTSD and the anguish of adjusting to civilian life, while documenting how the country falls short in treating warriors’ psychological wounds.
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body
Rebekah TaussigIn this witty and engaging essay collection, the disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty shares her candid perspectives on living with a disability. From sex and online dating, to Hollywood ableism and accessibility nightmares, Taussig’s stories inspire awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of underrepresented voices and nonnormative bodies.