Member Reviews

This is an amazing anthology from all sorts of trans + disabled people. I recommend this book for everyone. I’ve just gotten a new, depressing, diagnosis and this book was like being surrounded by the people I need right now. I hope all the trans + disabled folks that read it will feel that similar sense of belonging, being seen, and being believed. I will be asking my library to bring in this book and I’ll also be buying a physical copy!!

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This book sends a really powerful message as a fellow trans & disabled person and I really enjoyed reading the stories in this anthology. I would recommend this book to the communities I'm connected to, who would likely resonate with it as well.

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I think this book is so important in highlighting and addressing the high intersection between the trans and disabled communities.

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Anthologies can often be hit or miss, and that's true of this collection. All the pieces in this were insightful glimpses into individual experiences of people who are trans and disabled in a variety of different ways and combinations, and many pieces were particularly engaging or personally resonant. However some just weren't that easy to follow, and one felt more like an advert for the writer's YouTube videos more than a piece of written work with how many times the channel was mentioned. All in all, I think this is a book that people ought to pick up if they have a chance, but some of the content didn't quite feel like it was existing in the same anthology as others.

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I will say, I wasn't sure how much I'd like this anthology going in, having not heard of many of the authors, but I wanted to make sure I read it for Under the Umbrella because it felt like it could be an important work to boost up. And I will happily say that I devoured this!! The essays were poignant and meaningful, affected me deeply regardless of the writer's experiences, medium, or style. I came out of it feeling validated regarding my own disabilities. I highly, highly recommend this.

Meaningful and striking, Iantiff collects a vast array of unique, talented voices speaking their individual truths in creative and beautiful ways. This anthology is a genuine delight.

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What a fantastic read, would slit so well into a social policy curriculum on a degree program. I enjoyed the topic of intersectionality very much and learning about the topic from varying points of view and the “overlap” or intersection was very informative. Also liked the cover. Great read. Enjoyed very much and have recommended to friends

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Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This collection has some really powerful writers & stories! I especially enjoyed "I can't keep meeting me like this". Highly recommend especially for members of the community as this is who this collection was created for.

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thank you to netgalley, editor- alex iantaffi, the authors of the stories within the anthology and jessica kingley publishers for the immense privilege it has been to read this as an ARC book- my review is my own.
this book covers an incredible amount of ground and experiences within the disabled sphere. it was a delight to see disabilities similar to my own in such well written pieces such as EDS while also reading stories about other disabilities that differ from my own like RA.
each essay was fantastic which is rare in an anthology like this. i was engaged through the entire book.
this is a must read for other disabled readers, those wanting to learn more about the disabled experience or those looking to read more diverse.

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This is a book I need to have a physical copy of just to read through once in a while. 
I found myself in this book in unexpected ways. 
I loved all the different formats and how every person's personality shone through in multiple ways. It felt like a warm hug, even though it's laced with pain and heartbreak.
Community is so so so important.
Genuinely the only downside is it being so short, I'd have loved to read twice as many stories and poems and essays. Thank you for this book and thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

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This book was interesting to read. I can't believe the world can be so hard to people who are different. Who are queer and/or disabled. I know it, but i don't want to believe it. It was interesting to read about their own experiences in life as a queer and disabled person. To see it was different, but also kind of similar to how they were being treated by the world. I'm happy to read that they are still themselves. This book felt pretty powerful. I admire people who write about their experiences. I took to long to finish it tho, so i already forgot most of the stories.

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a powerful collection of stories, essays, plays and poetry from a diverse group of disabled trans+ people. each chapter highlights a trans+ disabled person's voice on the complexities of living as a disabled trans+ person in a world that is hostile to disabled & trans people. it explores hope & strength & solidarity in fighting back and building a better future. this is such an important book, both for helping disabled trans+ people to feel seen and less alone, and for educating trans & disabled allies <3


huge thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book

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4.5

Trans and Disabled is a collection of stories from various different trans and disabled artists. These stories depict different experiences that trans and disabled people face, it reflects how intersectional their lives are.

The cover sets us up for a wonderful time, which is met. This is a wonderful, incredible, amazing read.

The pacing of all the pieces were amazing, it did not feel to slow or rushed, it gave us enough time to emerge into every piece. The format is really creative.
I really enjoyed this use of different forms of art to expresses themselves, with poetry, non-fiction (memoires), plays and art. The use of different ways to understand the different experiences, with research-based stories, maths and more.

I learnt about different movement and terms I had yet to come across, such as saneism and neuroqueer feminist theory. I enjoyed reading about plurality, the ordinary, being enough and love.

I would recommend this to everyone, it is so powerful. I wish there was more, more art, more poetry, more plays, more stories more everything. I would read this again any day.

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First off. Thank you to Alex Lantaffi for bringing together this incredible book. Im somebody who typically avoids non fiction as I tend to read for escapism however as a trans disabled man with Autism and DID, this book was incredible at filling a huge gap in the publishing market.
The anthology of works from people of all different experiences and walks in life, all came together to shed light on not only the struggles of trans and disabled people but also the intersectionalities that come with said identities.
A brilliant book for not only those who will relate, but also to anybody wanting a better insight into the lives and struggles of transgender, autistic and disabled people.

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Wow. This was such an excellent collection of essays, poems, stories and plays. It really captured what it's like to navigate the world as a trans and disabled person and made me feel seen, really really seen, for the first time in my life. I felt understood and validated in my transness and disabled-ness. I think this would be a great read for others like me but also people who have someone who's trans and disabled in their life, to help them to better understand what that experience can be like.

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Trans and Disabled is a collection of essays, poetry, and other forms of work from a wide range of individuals who are trans and disabled. This book explores what being trans and disabled means for others but also describes everyday life for those of us who are. I genuinely loved this collection. As someone who is trans and disabled, some of essays and poems made me feel almost like I was looking in a mirror. It gives me hope for our (collective trans and disabled) future to know that we’re not done fighting and we won’t go down quietly. It also just made me feel seen, and like I wasn’t alone in my experiences. It is hard to not feel like a tiny island in the middle of a vast ocean when you’re trans and disabled, but this brought others into view. If there was anything to change, it would simply be to add more stories and more artwork but it is so wonderful as is. I’ve already recommended it to all of my friends.

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As someone who is both trans and disabled, it was an absolute joy to find this book available here. The book talks about multiple people's experiences with being transgender and disabilities, but all in their own format. Some writers wrote essays while others wrote a play or poetry. The only flaw I have found while reading the book is the first story, since it was pretty hard to follow for me. That might be because I knew nothing about the topic, but maybe it wouldn't have felt so daunting if this wasn't the first story in the anthology. The rest of the anthology was amazing to read, with so many beautiful quotes and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy once it's out.

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Huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This powerful collection of short stories offers a deep, personal glimpse into the lives of trans and disabled individuals. Although I am neither disabled nor trans, I found the stories both beautiful and deeply impactful.

I thoroughly enjoyed every story in this book. Each author brings a unique perspective and voice, highlighting not only the complexities of their identities and the challenges they face but also showcasing their incredible resilience and strength.

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This anthology is especially interesting to me because it covers a lot of ground, and a lot of very different ground. Although some pieces really spoke to me, I will admit that I disliked others because they included things I don't fully understand or outright disagree with. But even the parts that I didn't like or agree with were still valuable to read.

I recommend a book like this to anyone, because even though you might not understand or agree with everything in it, it's important to always challenge ourselves. For most people, this book will open you to new ways of thinking.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book.

This review is also posted to my Goodreads.

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Trans and Disabled is such a valuable anthology. There are a variety of disabilities represented as well as a variety of trans identities and experiences. Each entry in this anthology considers the intersection of disability and trans-ness from a fresh and thoughtful perspective. There are also less discussed disabilities, such as multiplicity/DID, included. It was really an engrossing read. Honestly, I started this book before going to bed and woke up and finished it in the morning.

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Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I never would have bought this book in a shop as a cis, white, straight female. I would have assumed this book wasn’t for me. I would have picked it up from the library app if it came on there eventually but I am so happy I got a chance to read this book. I know a few people who are living their true lives now and they did it later in life so it’s nice to read stories about people who have come into themselves at an older age. This book helped me understand some terminology and the reasoning behind it. The world is always learning and this book is a great resource.

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