Listen to a sample
Who Wants Normal?
- Author
- Frances Ryan
- Narrator
- Ruth Madley
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 17 April 2025
- Run Time
- 8 hours 35 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A groundbreaking memoir about what it means to be a disabled woman in Britain today from the acclaimed journalist and author, including insights and personal stories from over 50 contributors
'No one really talks about it. No one really talks about what it is to be a disabled woman, especially a young one. To go a bit mad. To experience pain or exhaustion or feel 92. To navigate all the standard parts of life - exams, careers, dating - but with a body that is different than everyone else’s.'
Part memoir, part manifesto, and full of Frances Ryan’s trademark warmth, humour and honesty (as well as hard-hitting statistics), Who Wants Normal? explores six facets of life: education, careers, body image, health, relationships and representation, as well as how to survive life's bumps in the road.
It draws on Frances’s own experience, as well as from highly personal interviews with over 50 of Britain's best known women and non-binary people with mental and physical health conditions, including Jameela Jamil, Ruth Madeley, Sophie Morgan, Rosie Jones, Fearne Cotton, Emma Barnett, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marsha de Cordova MP, Ellie Goldstein and Katie Piper.
Who Wants Normal? lifts the lid off a subject that is too often shrouded in stereotypes and silence. It offers support, inspiration and a sense of solidarity to the 1 in 4 women with long-term health conditions – and will open the eyes of anyone wanting to better understand what life is really like with a disability.
'We all need this book' Jameela Jamil
‘A razor sharp manifesto by one of Britain's most vital voices’ Yomi Adegoke
'Exceptional' British Vogue
'Beautiful, vital and important. I loved it' Jack Thorne
'I've never related to a book more. Disabled or not, you MUST read this' Rosie Jones
'Supercharged relevance [full of] robust analysis and wry humour… readers will find here stories to inspire, enrage and encourage' Observer
© Frances Ryan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
-
A razor sharp, super-smart manifesto by one of the most vital voices in British journalism today. This guide is a crucial call to action not just for disabled women, but for everyone who wants to have a better understanding of what it means to live with a disability
Yomi Adegoke
-
This book is beautiful, vital and important. I loved it
Jack Thorne, writer of Adolescence
-
Exceptional ... A must read
British Vogue
-
Wow, just wow. A call to action if I’ve ever read one. So expertly written, educational, thought-provoking and genuinely funny. Society as a whole is privileged to have this book
David Holmes, author of The Boy Who Lived
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Frances has long been one of my writing heroes - this book is typically smart, funny, clarifying and enraging
Eva Wiseman
-
This superb book is a rallying cry for true equality for disabled people. Full of shocking stats, real life experiences and humour, it made me angry, laugh and gasp
Victoria Derbyshire
-
Supercharged relevance [full of] robust analysis and wry humour… readers will find here stories to inspire, enrage and encourage
Observer
-
The must-read manifesto…this new book blends memoir and practical insight in an unmissable call to action…it covers education, careers, health, body image, relationships, representation and more
Stylist
-
Illuminating and spirited - such a necessary book
Marina Hyde
-
One of the most interesting and important writers working in the UK today
Nish Kumar
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Frances Ryan
- Narrator
- Ruth Madley
- Duration
- 8 hours 35 minutes
- Release Date
- 17 April 2025
- ISBN
- 9781405973052
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Memoirs, Coping with / advice about physical impairments / disability, Disability: social aspects, Self-help, personal development and practical advice, Feminism and feminist theory, Interviews / discussions
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.A groundbreaking memoir about what it means to be a disabled woman in Britain today from the acclaimed journalist and author, including insights and personal stories from over 50 contributors'No one really talks about it. No one really talks about what it is to be a disabled woman, especially a young one. To go a bit mad. To experience pain or exhaustion or feel 92. To navigate all the standard parts of life - exams, careers, dating - but with a body that is different than everyone else’s.'Part memoir, part manifesto, and full of Frances Ryan’s trademark warmth, humour and honesty (as well as hard-hitting statistics), Who Wants Normal? explores six facets of life: education, careers, body image, health, relationships and representation, as well as how to survive life's bumps in the road.It draws on Frances’s own experience, as well as from highly personal interviews with over 50 of Britain's best known women and non-binary people with mental and physical health conditions, including Jameela Jamil, Ruth Madeley, Sophie Morgan, Rosie Jones, Fearne Cotton, Emma Barnett, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marsha de Cordova MP, Ellie Goldstein and Katie Piper.Who Wants Normal? lifts the lid off a subject that is too often shrouded in stereotypes and silence. It offers support, inspiration and a sense of solidarity to the 1 in 4 women with long-term health conditions – and will open the eyes of anyone wanting to better understand what life is really like with a disability.'We all need this book' Jameela Jamil‘A razor sharp manifesto by one of Britain's most vital voices’ Yomi Adegoke'Exceptional' British Vogue'Beautiful, vital and important. I loved it' Jack Thorne'I've never related to a book more. Disabled or not, you MUST read this' Rosie Jones'Supercharged relevance [full of] robust analysis and wry humour… readers will find here stories to inspire, enrage and encourage' Observer© Frances Ryan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.