OWNING IT

An international group of disabled adult authors write about their childhoods.

The contributors live with diverse physical disabilities, including but not limited to limb and facial differences, dwarfism, and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, as well as conditions like deafness and autism. The stories have a valuable focus on people who have been disabled since childhood, an often-overlooked demographic. The reminiscences cover ground such as participating in extracurricular activities like music and sports, which can lead to increased self-confidence, and the impact of being a recipient of charity. The authors reassuringly emphasize, sometimes through letters to their younger selves, that self-love will come in time, but until then, having good people in your corner and cultivating resilience are key. In “Lip-Reading in Odesa,” Ilya Kaminsky writes about being a deaf child during the collapse of the USSR, learning from his father about poetry and life during World War II. “Why Do You Feel Sorry for Me?” is a transcribed interview with Ali Abbas, who was injured as a 12-year-old during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and became an amputee. In “Snakes, Bats, Rats and Rotifers,” American author M. Leona Godin describes the progressive eye disease that began as a child, and how her love of animals and volunteering at a zoo helped her understand her new reality. The authors’ messages are honest and admirable, and common, unifying threads emerge across their diverse backgrounds. Kamlish’s bold and quirky black-and-white illustrations appear before each story, encapsulating their themes.

Encouraging tales of learning to thrive.