Following a life-altering amputation, Iya struggles to rebuild her sense of self while navigating cruelty and alienation at a new school. Her growing bond with Mambo, a girl shaped by the quiet world of her mother, a woman with hearing and speech disabilities, becomes a powerful space of mutual recognition. Together, they confront the pressures placed upon them and find in friendship and art new ways of imagining themselves.
The Shape of Unbroken Things is a compelling work of young adult fiction that captures the fragile intensity of adolescence. Moving between moments of vulnerability and humour, the novel traces the evolving friendship between two girls learning to inhabit a world shaped by exclusion and expectation. Amid the backdrop of school life, the narrative takes readers into the world of school cliques where the language and politics of disability and identity take centre stage.
More than a novella, The Shape of Unbroken Things is a publishing experiment in what a book can hold and who it can reach. Produced by Bakwa Books with accessibility at its core, the publication is a bilingual English-French tête-bêcheedition, inviting readers to encounter the story from either direction. It is also available in both English and French braille editions, and as an eBook, with an audiobook forthcoming, extending the novella beyond the printed page. The Shape of Unbroken Things is for readers who read with their eyes, ears, hands, and hearts, and stands as a testament as to why physical books still matter.
