Chapters of Change: A Face For Picasso by Ariel Henley

September is children’s craniofacial association’s craniofacial acceptance month.

BY REBECCA PARTEN CHAPTERS OF CHANGE

September is Children’s Craniofacial Association’s Craniofacial Acceptance Month.In honor of this, I wanted to put a spotlight on A Face for Picasso by Ariel Henley. It’s an intensely raw and personal glimpse into the author’s life with Crouzon Syndrome. This memoir is brutally honest about the physical and emotional struggles she faced growing up with a disability that was readily apparent to those around her.

She and her twin sister, who also has Crouzon Syndrome, underwent numerous surgeries on their faces to address the medical and aesthetic aspects of their condition. But more than that, the book describes the emotional toll all of this had on her.

Ariel talks about how mental health wasn’t something that was often discussed when she was growing up. She digs deep into her past and works toward healing from the trauma she’s experienced.

While hard to read at times, A Face for Picasso is a book I believe older teens and adults should read.

Next month’s book will be Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber.