We’re a bit tardy with our annual list of amputee-themed summer reads. But not too late, we hope—there are still a few weeks of beach time remaining. And, as usual, there are plenty of worthy new pages to turn through while you’re out there soaking up rays.
All but one of the books below were published within the last calendar year, and the lone exception is only a little over a year old. We haven’t read all these volumes, but they’ve all passed through the agent/editorial gauntlet to get published. They’ve all been pretty well reviewed, too. So while we can’t recommend each title personally, we’re pretty confident they are at least worthy of your consideration. Caveat emptor.
Books are listed alphabetically by author’s last name.
Out on a Limb
Hannah Bonam-Young
Congenital amputee Win McNulty is the very picture of an independent, well-adjusted young adult—until a one-night hookup leads to an unexpected pregnancy. That forces Win and her partner, Bo—a new amputee still adjusting to disability—to try building a long-term commitment out of a purely transactional connection. It’s a well-worn romance-novel cliche, but Bonam-Young breathes new life into it with likeable characters who authentically reflect the anxiety, vulnerability, strength, and resilience that comes with limb difference. The protagonist is apparently based on the author, who is herself a congenital amputee. Reviewers use phrases such as “a big warm hug of a book,” “a feel good story that will resonate with romantics,” and “a love story so sweet you’ll want to squeal.”
Buy it at Bookshop.org
An Amputee’s Guide to Jules Verne
Nick DiMartino
You might not know this (we didn’t), but Jules Verne is one of the three most widely authors in history—only the Bible and Agatha Christie can boast more readers. DiMartino didn’t know it either, until he lost a leg at age 71 and started reading authors he’d never spent time with before. Verne, famed for Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and other voyages extraordinaires, held particular appeal for DiMartino, whose imagination remained as mobile as ever (perhaps even more so) after limb loss. He ended up reading all 66 Verne novels, a quest that became known as “Jules Verne Therapy” in DiMartino’s amputee support group. Next up on DiMartino’s writing docket: An Amputee’s Guide to Oz.
Buy it at Bookshop.org
The Running Grave
Robert Galbraith
Mr. Galbraith (nee Ms. Rowling) has now written as many Cormoran Strike novels as Harry Potter novels—seven apiece. The Running Grave sends Strike’s sidekick, Robin, into harm’s way: She infiltrates a sinister cult that has brainwashed a young, filthy rich heir for the purpose (it appears) of draining his trust fund. That’s the through-line, but this 960-page novel has room aplenty for side alleys and rabbit holes—a little supernatural creepiness here, some mild Brexit polemicizing there. Our favorite BKA private eye is his usual sandpaper-skinned, marshmallow-hearted self, and he shows few signs of slowing down. We look forward to the eighth installment (tentatively titled “The Hallmarked Man”), which Galbraith is typing out right at this moment.
Buy it at Bookshop.org
The Architecture of Disability
David Gissen
Disability advocates rave about this book, which is no surprise: It’s billed as “a radical critique of architecture that places disability at the heart of the built environment.” But architects rave about it as well. Historians rave, too. So do design pros, urban planners, social policy wonks, and readers from seemingly every other profession. And when we say “rave,” we mean highly credentialed experts say things like “Gissen’s book upends centuries of dogmatic thinking.” It’s a paradigm-shifting piece of work, from one of the world’s leading architectural historians (who happens to be an amputee).
Buy it at Bookshop.org
Sentinel
Mark Greaney
Josh Duffy, the hero of this newish series, has experienced a career upheaval that will feel familiar to many people who’ve lost a limb. One day he’s an elite bodyguard for American security agents abroad; the next, he’s an amputee who can only get work as a mall cop. But when you’re good, you’re good—Duffy quickly works his way back into the community of covert operatives, double-crossers, and global intriguers. Sentinel is book #2 in the series, which commenced with 2022’s Armored. This volume finds Duffy and in Ghana trying to protect US diplomats (along with his wife and kids) from local rebels and Chinese assassins. The author, Tom Clancy’s hand-picked collaborator, wrote (or co-wrote) seven Jack Ryan novels, so if you’re a fan of that series, this book might appeal.
Buy it at Bookshop.org
Bounce Back
Travis Mills
Subtitled “12 Warrior Principles to Reclaim and Recalibrate Your Life,” this book offers in-your-face encouragement from an Army veteran who lost all four limbs in combat in Afghanistan—one of only five soldiers in this century’s wars to survive such extensive injuries. The 12 principles cover everything from emotional recovery to physical fitness, motivation, family relations, and goal setting. Each tenet carries a snappy heading such as “That Dog Don’t Hunt,” “Find a Battle Buddy,” or “Snap Your Fingers, Wiggle Your Toes, and Get the F*** Out of Bed.” This is Mills’s second book, following his 2016 memoir Tough As They Come.
Buy it at Bookshop.org
The Ageing Amputee
John Paffett
The author experienced a sudden, profound life change in his teens: amputation of his entire right leg (including hip) to thwart an aggressive cancer. Now in his 70s, Paffett has discovered that aging, while less sudden than amputation, brings changes that are no less profound. Although the author is a resident of the UK, he enlisted an American collaborator (Jim Clark) to address US-centric issues such as Medicare/Medicaid, senior living facilities, home health aides, and so forth. Paffett draws on scientific research and presents evidence-based information, but he writes in a down-to-earth, reader-friendly voice.
Buy it at Amazon
Sixteen Souls
Rosie Talbot
There’s phantom limb pain, and then there are just plain old phantoms. Both are stalking Charlie, the teenage protagonist of this supernatural thriller. He’s a bilateral leg amputee who’s deeply in touch with the spectral world. But perhaps the scariest thing he’s got to deal with is his own blossoming sexuality, whose terrors and confusing sensations are a big part of the plot. Reviewers use terms like “scary,” “romantic,” and “violent” to describe this volume.
Buy it at Bookshop.org
