Who wants to be normal?

Francis Ryan

“Nobody really talks about this. Nobody really talks about what it’s like to be a disabled woman, especially a young one. To go a little crazy. To be in pain or exhausted or feel like you’re 92. To go through all the normal aspects of life—exams, jobs, dating—but with a body that’s different from everyone else’s.”

"Who Wants to Be Normal?" is part memoir, part manifesto, and filled with Frances Ryan's trademark warmth, humor, and honesty (plus hard statistics). It explores six aspects of life: education, careers, body image, health, relationships, and representation, plus how to navigate life's bumps along the way.

Based on Frances' own experience, as well as deeply personal interviews with over 50 of Britain's most prominent 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 Gray-Thompson, MP Marsha de Cordova, Ellie Goldstein, and Katie Piper.

Who Wants to Be Normal? Lifts the lid on a topic often shrouded in stereotypes and silence. It offers support, inspiration, and a sense of solidarity for the one in four women living with long-term health conditions—and will be an eye-opener for anyone wanting a better understanding of what life with a disability is really like.