COMMUNITY
Disability Dialogues Book Group
Join UOD, Newton’s Commission On Disability and the
Newton Free Library for the
Disability Dialogues Book Group
Details About The Book Group
Join us for a book group that reads and discusses books exploring disability. We read a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and memoir – books may be written by disabled authors, feature disabled characters, tell the stories of real people with disabilities, or examine contemporary or historical topics related to disability. Disability isn’t a monolith, so we aim to read books that include different disabilities, themes, and perspectives. Everyone is welcome, and new members can join anytime.
The Disability Dialogues Book Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7pm. During daylight savings time (March-October), the group meets in person in Room A at the Newton Free Library (330 Homer Street, Newton, MA 02459). During standard time (November-February), the group meets virtually via Zoom.
The group is co-sponsored by the Understanding Our Differences, the Newton Commission On Disability, and the Newton Free Library.
Finding Selected Titles
Copies of the group’s current book are available for checkout at the front desk of the Newton Free Library.
We suggest reviewing our extensive guide to finding suggested reading titles for free or at very low cost. You can find our guide here.
Newton Free Library:
The up-to-date calendar listing for the Book Group can be found here at this calendar link.
For more information about Book Groups at the library, please check their Book Clubs page link.
Accessibility:
The in person location of this book group is wheelchair accessible. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities requiring assistance. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact Newton’s ADA/Sec.504 Coordinator, Jini Fairley, two weeks in advance of this event: [email protected] or (617) 796-1253. For Telecommunications Relay Service, please dial 711.
Questions? Write to Jenni at [email protected]
2025 Selected Titles
Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 7pm
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Fiction: True Biz, by Sara Nović
Summary: True biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the hearing headmistress, a CODA (child of deaf adult(s)) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another–and changed forever. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 7pm
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Nonfiction Memoir: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, by Judy Heumann
Summary:One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human. A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism–from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington– Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society. Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people. As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Candid, intimate, and irreverent, Judy Heumann’s memoir about resistance to exclusion invites readers to imagine and make real a world in which we all belong.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 7pm
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Nonfiction: Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say and How to be an Ally, by Emily Ladau
Summary: An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and whatnotto do) andhow you can help make the world a more inclusive place ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR- NPR, Booklist . “A candid, accessible cheat sheet for anyone who wants to thoughtfully join the conversation . . . Emily makes the intimidating approachable and the complicated clear.”-Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty- The View from My Ordinary, Resilient, Disabled Body People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, an estimated 15 percent of the global population. But many of us-disabled and nondisabled alike-don’t know how to act, what to say, or how to be an ally to the disability community.What are the appropriate ways to think, talk, and ask about disability? Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on the important disability issues you need to know about, including- . Recognizing and avoiding ableism (discrimination toward disabled people) . Practicing good disability etiquette . Ensuring accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events . Appreciating disability history and identity . Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes inmedia Authored by celebrated disability rights advocate, speaker, and writer Emily Ladau, this practical, intersectional guide offers all readers a welcoming place to understand disability as part of the human experience. Praise for Demystifying Disability “Whether you have a disability, or you are non-disabled, Demystifying Disability is a MUST READ. Emily Ladau is a wise spirit who thinks deeply and writes exquisitely.” -Judy Heumann, international disability rights advocate and author of Being Heumann
Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 7pm
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Fiction: Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
Summary: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . . A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction–if they don’t kill each other first.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 7pm
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Fiction: The Frangipani Tree Mystery, by Ovidia Yu
Summary: First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth Su Lin, a local girl stepping in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore. 1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin’s daughter dies suddenly – and in mysterious circumstances – mission school-educated local girl Su Lin – an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage – is invited to take her place. But then another murder at the residence occurs and it seems very likely that a killer is stalking the corridors of Government House. It now takes all Su Lin’s traditional skills and intelligence to help British-born Chief Inspector Thomas LeFroy solve the murders – and escape with her own life. ‘S imply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life, without ever getting in the way of a classic puzzle plot. But what’s a setting without a jewel? Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I’ve met in a long while.’ Catriona McPherson ‘Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu’s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels.’ Rhys Bowen
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 7pm
(note: due to the Rosh Hashanah holiday, this is the 5th Tuesday of the month)
In person – Room A
Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton, MA 02459
Nonfiction Memoir: Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life, by Alice Wong
Summary: This groundbreaking memoir offers a glimpse into an activist’s journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice, from the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project “Alice Wong provides deep truths in this fun and deceptively easy read about her survival in this hectic and ableist society.” -Selma Blair, bestselling author of Mean Baby In Chinese culture, the tiger is deeply revered for its confidence, passion, ambition, and ferocity. That same fighting spirit resides in Alice Wong. Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer. From her love of food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic ableism, Alice shares her thoughts on creativity, access, power, care, the pandemic, mortality, and the future. As a self-described disabled oracle, Alice traces her origins, tells her story, and creates a space for disabled people to be in conversation with one another and the world. Filled with incisive wit, joy, and rage, Wong’s Year of the Tiger will galvanize readers with big cat energy.