The second post for nonfiction November gives you a choice. I have selected to pair a fiction book with a nonfiction book as in, “If you liked that, you might like this.” You can see many other pairings on this weeks hosting site Sarah’s Book Shelves.
My pairing takes the fiction story Me Before you by Jojo Moyes and pairs it with the nonfiction collection of stories In Sickness and in Health, Love, Disability, and a Quest to Understand the Perils and Pleasures of Interabled Romance by Ben Mattlin.
In the off chance you haven’t read Me Before You, watched the movie or read the sequel, the story features Louisa and Will. Louisa takes a job caring for Will who has been in an accident. Prior to his accident, Will was an adventurous individual and full of life. Since his injury has made him a quadriplegic he is questioning whether he can continue to live when he feels so limited. Louisa learns that he has some drastic plans and sets to change his mind.
Initially, I didn’t want to read about the story of an able-bodied, typically developed individual “rescuing” a person with disabilities. Still, people praised the book and, in the end, I did enjoy it. You can read my full review here.
In Sickness and in Health is written by Ben Mattlin. Ben is a self described crip who has experienced life from a wheelchair since the age of 4. He is married to ML who does not have a disability. He wrote about their marriage in his first book Miracle Boy Grows Up and the overwhelming response resulted in his second book. Ben interviews many different interabled couples in order to gain insight into how and why their relationships work. Throughout, he interjects his thoughts, feelings and reflections about his relationship to ML.
If you enjoyed Me Before You I encourage you to pick up In Sickness and in Health. Ben Mattlin writes not just from experience but with the lens of understanding that is key to gaining insight into interabled marriages. And, he is funny.
Tell me, please!
Do either of these books interest you? Would you rather read a fictional or nonfictional account of an interabled relationship?
Small Spaces is a middle grade story by Katherine Arden. In it, a girl names Olivia (Ollie) meets a distraught woman tearfully attempting to toss a book into the water. Like any good and dedicated reader she bravely saves the book. When her class goes on a field trip to a local farm she is surprised to see the woman from the edge of the water there – and she is the farm’s owner! Soon terrifying things begin to happen. Is it the book? Or the woman?
