Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories about Living Fabulously Fat

Featuring 16 genre-diverse stories by fat-identifying writers, this anthology edited by author and Fat Like Me podcaster Newbould showcases fat characters across a variety of cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, places, and passions. Through a body-affirming lens, the contributors, including Alex Gino, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, and Renée Watson, provide a space where, as written in Aubrey Gordon’s (Your Fat Friend) moving introduction, fat-identifying readers will “feel understood, validated, seen, and celebrated.” Similar themes appear throughout, but each entry is distinct: in Nafiza Azad’s “Dupatta Diaries,” desi teen Jamilah confronts her family’s fatphobia with the help of a sentient dupatta that encourages her to embrace her hunger and enjoy food. In Chris Baron’s “Food Is Love,” Jewish aspiring chef Josh navigates his complicated relationship with food, love, and the ways they intersect. Presenting both joys and frustrations, this unapologetically honest collection features characters finding their voices alongside characters who fully embrace their bodies, challenge stereotypes, and refuse to let anything hold them back, effectively dispelling any notion of fatness as a singular perspective. Ages 14–up. [em]Agent: Jordan Hamessley, New Leaf Literary. (May) [/em]