Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse

Gr 9 Up—In the follow-up to his memoir Laughing at My Nightmare, Burcaw recounts his life with spinal muscular atrophy in this collection of 23 essays. Equal parts humorous, tender, and insightful, the pieces give an unfettered look at Burcaw's life and the assumptions others make about living with a disability. Vignettes include a disastrous trip to New York City with a dying electric wheelchair, starting a career as a motivational speaker, falling in love, and confronting the difficulties of transitioning to life outside of his parents' care. Intimate details, such as going to the bathroom and having relationships, are treated with frankness, and awkward situations are addressed head-on. The stigma he encounters day-to-day, from strangers giving him money to waiters giving him the kids menu, will be eye-opening for readers with and without disabilities. At points, the book is laugh-out-loud funny, making a sometimes difficult subject matter approachable and engaging, and each essay is concise and highly readable. The more vulnerable sections make the biggest impact, such as Burcaw's recurring fear of being a burden on those he loves.