I’m sure I’ve missed a few, and once and a while I come across a book with a blind hero or heroine. As you all know by now, I get into a rant about these. Why? Because most are terrible. OK, so far in my life, they are all terrible.
What makes them terrible?
The author doesn’t do enough research. They may do some, and not enough. They don’t use sensitivity readers. They end up propagating all the horrific stereotypes about blind people that make life difficult for the rest of us.
We do not feel faces.
We do not count steps.
We are well aware of what’s going on around us.
We do not pick out our guide dogs as puppies and train them. In some states, that’s not even allowed.
Of course we know of exceptions to these statements. These are exceptions that prove the rule.
But seriously, most people’s faces feel kind of greasy and one’s steps change with shoes and fatigue levels and so many more reasons why this is all impractical.
So what is the latest abomination?
Blind Embrace by Suzanne Lee.
No, I have not read this book. I am not spending money on it despite how much money I spend on books every month. I hate spending money only to want to toss the book across the room or return it or something else unpleasant.
So this book I ran across looks as trite as all the rest. Cheerleader is headed for LA for a modeling audition. (Shouldn’t it be New York, the seat of fashion?), but is in an accident and goes blind.
Honestly, can’t these supposedly creative people come up with something other than an accident to make someone go blind? Yes, it happens, and diseases of the eye are far more prevalent such as retinal blastoma, retinitis pigmentosa, LCA, glaucoma, macular degeneration…
But I digress again.
Worse, it seems to be a Christian novel. I have seen too many of these books—she can see people’s hearts through Jesus or some rot.
I know I used to give people snarky responses. “The first face I’ll see clearly will be the Lord’s.”
Gag.
I was such a fraud.
But I digress yet again.
I am just horribly appalled by the fact that this author says she is qualified to write the book because she’s a nurse and that helps her know all about what someone goes through going blind.
No, being a nurse does not give her special insight. To say so is offensive to those of us who have actually gone through it. No way can she know what it’s like. To say so is the height of arrogance and ableism.
In fact, I have found some of the worst ableists are medical people, which makes me even more suspicious of this woman’s qualifications to write a book about a blind heroine.
I did reach out to this author and respectfully ask her some questions about her research and why she chose to write a book about someone going blind, etc. No response.