Welcome to Read this Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that needs to jump onto your TBR pile! These books come from all sorts of different genres and age ranges.
For my last pick for Disability Pride Month, I wanted to feature the queen of historical fiction herself, Hilary Mantel. But instead of telling a story about an ambitious man in Henry VIII’s court, she tells the story of herself.
Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel
We’re introduced to Hilary Mantel as a child living with her parents in rural England. Much of Mantel’s childhood is marked by her Catholic upbringing and how her family’s faith shaped her mind. In incredible prose, she shares the wild dreams she had that fueled her anxiety about the supernatural forces the nuns said were around her.
While much of this memoir focuses on Mantel’s coming-of-age story, the second half of the book focuses on her experience with endometriosis and thyroid illness. She grew up a sickly child, so the severe cramps she experienced with her periods seemed par for the course. But as the pain grew more severe, she thought, this can’t be normal. It wasn’t.
However, doctors refused to believe that she was in as much pain as she was, instead referring her to psychiatric care. Eventually, she found a doctor who was willing to try some treatments with her, but it was all very touch and go. We follow Mantel’s frustration and anguish as she tries to untangle her many symptoms from the side effects of her medications. Her body type completely changes. And when she goes to the doctor, now they blame her symptoms on her weight.
Mantel’s story reflects the ableism, sexism, and fat phobia that the medical industry has embraced for a long time. Like Mantel describes in the book, she was eventually able to get the care that she needed. But at what cost?
As someone with similar chronic illness experiences, I deeply connected with Mantel’s story. She’s able to articulate the feeling of constantly being in pain but disbelieved by medical professionals. Being Mantel, her prose is perfection, her insights incredible. This is definitely a memoir you won’t want to miss.
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That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra