I've no doubt that Amanda Leduc found much value and comfort in fairy tales throughout her childhood and into adult life that impacted her identity as a disabled person in the world, but Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space proved a complete disappointment. What is intended as a study of disability in fairy tales ends up being a confused and confusing jumble of doctor's notes, personal anecdotes, interview excerpts, quotes, tangents and superficial analyses, generously peppered with references to The Little Mermaid and other Disney adaptations that require a high degree of familiarity with these films, since little context is provided. While, as a disabled woman, I recognized a few elements the author shared about her childhood (specifically bullying) and could see some of the points she was trying to make, I found much of the content skirted the very limits of relevance, including tangents on personality disorders, ableist/militaristic language, and changelings. (Why write about the tragic death of Bridget Cleary without clearly establishing a link to ANY disability?) In addition to the frequent contradictions in her discourse when drawing parallels between fairy tales and the real world, there's an abundance of deeply cringe-worthy content: suggesting government funding of sex workers' services so that disabled people (well, the straight male ones) can meet their sexual needs, devoting a lengthy section devoted to her crush on Kate Middleton, and even the jerk move of spoiling the finale of a massively popular TV series. I did not enjoy this.
This past week has been difficult mentally and emotionally. My usual "comfort read" is Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford, but so many of the books I had on hold came in that I couldn't get to it straight away. As it turned out, it was perfect timing that among them were the first four volumes in Jeanne Birsall's The Penderwicks series (my library doesn't have the final one). Reading about the adventures of this big welcoming family and their honorary members, how they approached and faced difficulties, helped to some degree. The first three books were especially wholesome; I found the fourth less compelling as the sisters are now older, which brings changes to the family dynamic, and there are interminable chapters about dog stuff.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon Victoriocity. What a revelation! This was my first audio drama, and I became a huge fan of the genre. I re-listened to the entire two seasons last week, and learned with pleasure that the show's writers are publishing a novel later this year: High Vaultage.
Speaking of audio things, I started to listen to author Emma Newman's Tea and Sanctuary podcast. It's lovely and quiet and comforting, as its perfect title indicates. Just the thing I needed.