Title: Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse
Author: Shane Burcaw
Type: Nonfiction
Genre: Autobiography, Humour
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
(Macmillan Publishers)
Date published: April 30, 2019

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

With his signature acerbic wit and hilarious voice, twenty-something author, blogger, and entrepreneur Shane Burcaw is back with an essay collection about living a full life in a body that many people perceive as a tragedy. From anecdotes about first introductions where people patted him on the head instead of shaking his hand, to stories of passersby mistaking his able-bodied girlfriend for a nurse, Shane tackles awkward situations and assumptions with humor and grace.

On the surface, these essays are about day-to-day life as a wheelchair user with a degenerative disease, but they are actually about family, love, and coming of age.

I have not read as much about disabilities and people with disabilities as I would like. I’m therefore very happy to have come across Shane Burcaw’s book Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is My Nurse. When I saw in the synopsis that Shane is witty and funny, I wanted to look him up and find out more about him. And that is how I came across his and his girlfriend, Hannah’s, YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs. I started watching one video and became hooked! Not only is Shane hilarious, but his and Hannah’s relationship is the sweetest thing. I also wanted to learn more about Spinal Muscular Atrophy (the disease Shane suffers from) and how it affects their lifestyle.

I feel like those elements kind of carried the story for me, though, in that I was reading mainly for those elements, rather than the story as a whole. I think that there was definitely some potential when considering all of the pieces of Squad separately, but I personally find that they may just not have been fit together quite in the way that I may have preferred (when considering my personal tastes). I’m sure that there are many readers out there who have enjoyed, and will enjoy, this book though, so please don’t be discouraged from reading Squad simply due to my personal opinion.

Shane Burcaw grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and recently graduated from Moravian College with an English degree. He is the president of Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc. where he works to teach people that humor and positivity can be used to overcome adversity. He has written a young adult memoir and writes as a freelancer for The Morning Call. He also writes a blog called Laughing At My Nightmare about the humor of living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

In his free time he enjoys running people over in his wheelchair, hanging out with his brother and friends, and traveling. His favorite food is mashed potatoes, and one time when he was a kid he stole thirty popsicles from the school cafeteria because a friend told him it was allowed. The popsicles melted in his book bag, and he was sent to the principal’s office. A life of crime just didn’t suit him.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!

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