July 3, 2023
Meyers debuts with a riveting memoir chronicling her life story from an early childhood diagnosis of polio through her unyielding determination to attend and graduate from college and build for herself a successful career as an engineering executive at Apple. Sharing details about her family history and legacy, key friendships, and the experience of becoming a wife and a mother, Meyers shares her story with vivid transparency and raw honesty that is endearing and inspiring. Meyers's parents received the terrifying telegram that their 11-month-old daughter had polio, which Meyers describes with precision, from diagnosis to treatment to life-long impact: “My right leg is around two inches shorter than the left and doesn’t have much muscle development,” she writes. “It looks more like a stick than a leg."
Though her disability has led to setbacks and obstacles, including unfair treatment from peers and adults, Meyers persevered, as the title playfully suggests. She continually sets goals for herself and maps out the best course to achieve them. Despite her early goal to be accepted and graduate from college, difficulties in her native home of China, where most colleges have unyielding physical education requirements, prompted Meyers to eventually apply to schools in the United States, where she was accepted at Ohio University with a full scholarship and completed her PhD. From her first position as a software scientist in Silicon Valley to an executive role at Apple, Meyers’s determination fueled her ambitions, and her hard work led to successful achievements. "I heard from people what I couldn’t do, I limped forward and did all those things anyway, and I am not done yet," Meyers notes.
From competing in a 100-mile bike ride to challenging herself in karate classes, Meyers reflects on the ways her weaknesses became her strengths, delivering an inspirational narrative of a young woman constantly pushing herself, pursuing her dreams, and always believing in herself no matter what others had to say. The result is inspiring.
Takeaway: An inspirational memoir that highlights living with a disability and persevering.
Comparable Titles: Rebekah Taussig’s Sitting Pretty, Alice Wong’s Disability Visibility.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A