Inclusion and Mistakes v. Homogeny and Accuracy

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Sarah Wendell and I had a lively debate via email on the topic of inclusion or getting it right.  The Mahajara's Mistress by Susan Stephens recently reviewed at Smart Bitches features a heroine who has an eye patch due to the loss of an eye and is scarred in her face.  She dresses like a pirate and works at a trendy hair salon in Monaco.  The disfigurement is largely an accessory and not well integrated into the heroine's character arc.  I felt that the inclusion of disfigured heroines, even ...