Shrill, Lindy West
Shrill is the memoir of writer and editor Lindy West, which drew my attention based on its title alone: a word that is often used to describe women who voice their opinions too much or too loudly. She details her life of growing up as a fat child and how she ultimately learned that loving and accepting herself as is was not only easier, but also healthier, as diets wreak havoc on your body and only work for 5% of people. This is (not?) coincidentally one of the biggest lies and distractions of capitalism and the patriarchy: that instead of fixing systemic societal issues, women should focus on making ourselves into the ‘perfect’ version of what a woman ‘should’ be using anything from dieting to make up to you name it. West is an amazing example of someone who rejected this notion in order to fight the good fight, something that is easier said than done and requires daily work to make happen, but is so worth it.
Girl in Translation, Jean Kwok
Half autobiographical and half fiction, this story of a mother and daughter who leave Hong Kong for the U.S. just as it is transitioning from British to Chinese hands in the 90s is a heart-warming tale of hard work, love, and success. It is one that is rarely seen anymore in real life and that reinforces the narrative of hard work being the answer to systemic issues like poverty, racism, and the treatment of immigrants. Give the fact that part of the book is based on real life events in the author’s life, one can’t help but root for the narrator and main character, an 11-year-old girl, to succeed in her dreams of going to a prestigious high school in New York as the first step to taking her and her mother out of poverty. Because of the happy ending and straightforward narration style, I think this book would make a great film adaptation, and if I had to bet I would say we will see it in the future 😉