Fattily Ever After: A Black Fat Girl's Guide to Living Life Unapologetically by Stephanie Yeboah

 

I'd never heard of Stephanie Yeboah before but apparently she is a UK-based plus-sized beauty blogger of Ghanaian descent. This book is kind of her memoir and her manifesto, and deals with all kinds of subjects, from the way that being overweight can get you ignored or misdiagnosed by health professionals to how to construct a profile on a dating site that will make you feel good about yourself. Each chapter is organized into sections and sometimes Yeboah includes interviews with her own followers or, when applicable, from professionals.

I haven't read a lot of books about body positivity, but I have definitely noticed what Yeboah talks about-- that even within a community that's allegedly about promoting every skin color and every size, you usually only see one kind of aesthetic. As with feminism, Yeboah really drives home the need for inclusivity and intersectionality, with chapters on how to be a good ally and examine your words for potentially hurtful language, and also about the history of misogynoir and how people have historically viewed Black bodies.

Yeboah has a really engaging voice and I think she did a really great job balancing the personal with the instructional. The passages she shared from her own life, about her family, her history with bullying, and her mental health (including a history of depression and EDs) were incredibly emotional and made me feel really invested in her story. The infographics and illustrations are cute, and fit in with the overall vibe of the book, and I loved that Yeboah cites her sources with links at the end of every chapter so you can check her sources for the points she's making and also read more about them if you want.

Whether you're getting this to feel seen or to educate yourself, I think you'll most likely really enjoy this book. It's authentic and engaging and it's coming from a great place.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars