From the Bookshelf of La Crescent Public Library…

[close] Part of our summer reading book club, we had a great discussion about disability rights and the discrepancies we see (or now see) around us throughout our days... even in 2024.

Everyone loved the friendship story between Effie and Harper. Most loved the romance between Effie and Wilder too, though some thought he was too good and therefore a little unbelievable, but it's fiction right? Everyone really appreciated and spent the most time discussing Effie's college interviews with the alum and what kind of marketing spins organizations will take to sound like they are accessible, when their actions don't realistically match.

A wonderful add on we looked at in our book club was the graduation speech Claire Forrest gave at her alumnus. It's very poignant, related to the book, but also reveals more of her own lived experience as an individual with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair. You can find her speech on her author website as part of her press kit.

Thank you, Claire, for writing a book that placed so many readers in your shoes.