The success of the movie version of Jojo Moyes' Me Before You got me to thinking -- why aren't there more disabled characters in adult romances? After all, it's a fairly common trope in YA love stories -- dreamy Augustus Waters and spunky Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars being the archetypal couple. 

 

So, I took my question to an expert. Christyna Hunter often writes about romance as well as her experiences as a librarian and a reader with a disability. She compiled a list of recommended adult romances that include interesting, complex portrayals of disabled characters, from foundational texts like Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm to new standard bearers like Jennifer Lohmann's Winning Ruby Heart. 

 

Why not spring a few of these titles on your romance readers or your Jojo Moyes fans? After all, sympathetic characters in interesting situations are at the heart of every great romance! 

 

Keep turning those pages,

 

 

 

Did you know that NoveList recently switched our cataloging terms to people-first language? For instance, instead of using the subject heading "Blind women", we use the term "Women who are blind". 

 

To get the full scoop on this change for the better, check out Metadata Librarian Suzanne Temple's blog post.