by Emily Rapp
First published 2006
Emily Rapp faces her first amputation at age four when doctors remove her left foot due to a birth defect. By eight, she has endured dozens of surgeries and lost her entire leg below the knee. The March of Dimes transforms her into their cheerful poster child, sending her across the Midwest to deliver inspirational speeches. Rapp learns to smile on command and project unwavering optimism while privately grappling with what she calls her fundamental flaw. She discovers that being exceptional becomes her only path to acceptance. As a teenager, Rapp battles the crushing weight of maintaining her public image while navigating adolescence in a body that defies social expectations. The memoir follows her journey from dutiful spokesperson to young woman determined to accept herself. Rapp writes with stark honesty and sharp humor about living with disability in a culture obsessed with physical perfection. Her story examines the cost of inspiration and the struggle to find authentic identity.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
226 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury USA
Content warnings: ableism, medical-trauma