Interesting Nonfiction Histories

There is a long history of people in the medical field not taking women seriously. Leghorn experienced this firsthand after finally being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. But the diagnosis only came after a long period of being gaslit into thinking she was imagining her symptoms. Here, she examines the intersection of women, illness, and the field of medicine— which has largely been controlled by men. The history of how women and their illnesses have been treated by medicine goes all the way from the wandering wombs of Ancient Greece to the sterilization that was forced on Black women in the American South.

Book club bonus: Women have worked as midwives all over the world and in different cultures for a long time. As medicine became more standardized, though, it seems as if the profession decreased. Discuss this. Why do you think that happened and do you think women would be better served if there were more midwives, or would patriarchal views still be upheld?

In this book, Snorton details the rich history of Black transpeople, especially how they have been cut out of the narrative of trans and queer history. By using the narratives of enslaved people seeking freedom, Afro-modernist literature, journalism, and other sources, Snorton shows just how much race has determined how topics like queerness and gender have been represented.

Book club bonus: Discuss why you think heteronormativity and race are so strongly linked.

Through this memoir by world renowned artist Ai Weiwei, we’re shown how some of the major forces in China shaped it the last 100 years. He tells the story of his father, Ai Qing, who was a poet and formerly close to Mao Zedong. Once he fell out of favor, he and his family — including a young Ai Weiwei— were exiled to Little Siberia where he was sentenced to hard labor. Once Weiwei returns to China after having studied art in America, his art becomes known all over the world, as does his work as a human rights activist. By telling the story of his and his father’s lives— and their struggles to express themselves as artists while contending with totalitarianism— he tells the story of China.

Book club bonus: Discuss the parallels between Ai Weiwei and his father. They both had things in common, but vastly different outcomes. What do you think was the turning point for either one?