This novel will make you take a step back and see the world differently, which is a breath of fresh air! The writing of this memoir was absolutely brilliant and I feel lucky to have read it. Thank you to everyone for the opportunity to read this eARC!

ok wow, instantly one of my favorite memoirs of all time. chloe cooper jones is a marvel. not only did this make me see the world differently, but it was a joy to read, even when the material was different. the writing is just so. so so so brilliant. chloe is a star. i would read a thousand more books by her.

I don’t really like critiquing a person’s memoir. I feel like any criticism of the book will be attributed to that author’s personal, private, and intimate journey that they have bared to us on the pages. That is NOT the case here. Ms. Jones is a brilliant individual and beautiful writer. But, I think she is too smart for me. The author’s story get lost, for me, in the forest of all the philosophy packed into the book. I almost didn’t even finish after the first chapter. And what I was able to glean from her personal story was touching, moving, eye-opening, and inspiring. It was just so hard for me to stay focused on the words because art and philosophy just don’t hold my attention. I wish I could’ve been more attuned to this story. Maybe there will be another, better time for me to re-read this one and make a stronger connection.

While the author and I have different disabilities, I found so much to relate to in her memoir. I loved being able to learn about a rare disease with which I was unfamiliar while also hearing about how it impacts Chloe's daily life. We need more disability memoirs in the world, but I am very glad this one exists!

Easily the best book I’ve read in 2022. The author has a way of capturing small moments and feelings in a way that feels so recognizable. I was captivated my each page and memory she shared, so lucky to be let into her mind to attempt to experience these beauties with her. She has gained a fan in me, and I will be on the lookout for anything she publishes in the future.

There were parts of this that I absolutely loved and [more] parts that really fell flat. The author is intensely intellectual and a lot of the writing is heavily philosophical. I found it to be too intellectually written to be at all enjoyable for most of the book - particularly the first 25%.

It's impossible to narrow down what this book is about, because Jones' memoir spans so many topics: motherhood, disability, art, philosophy, womanhood, perception, etc. She writes about herself with candor, never seeking the reader's sympathy, but rather offering an unflinching look at what it's like to navigate through this world with a visible disability.

As Chloe continued to describe her encounters with cruel and insensitive strangers, I mentally compiled the bits and pieces she provided on her personal appearance to envision what she must look like. I pictured someone quite grotesque, someone who made crowds part to allow her to pass, and not too closely. Only once did she use her "disability" to move to the front of a line. I admire her so much for not making a habit of the pity card. When I could stand it no longer, I looked up photos of her online. Chloe Jones sells herself short. SHE IS PRETTY!!!

This had some really wonderful writing and parts - particularly the exploration of pain and disability, and how often society repeatedly judges those whether its conscious or unconscious ableism. I was horrified by some of the experiences the author describes and found it extremely thought provoking. I didn't always follow the philosophical paragraphs but her personal reflections on her experiences were excellently written. I truly enjoyed her journey to discover her sense of self separate from the limitations imposed on her from others and her own internalised fear of being less than. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

I loved this memoir. It was so great to be able to read from a different perspective and how Chloe Cooper Jones lives her life. I'm always looking for new memoirs to read and this was definitely a favorite.

With vulnerability and heart, Chloe Cooper Jones shares her experiences living with a disability and how this impacts her career and role as a mother/wife in her memoir, EASY BEAUTY.

In this season, I find myself drawn to stories that explore motherhood expectations. I appreciated hearing Chloe’s perspective on life and her choice to set off on a transatlantic journey to redefine herself. She beautifully upends our society’s standard of beauty and encourages readers to consider how they may be unintentionally upholding these values.

At times the narrative delved into deep philosophical issues which is Chloe’s area of professional study, and this was less engaging than the personal aspects of her story. Overall, this is certainly worth picking up for readers interested in ableism.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an exquisitely written memoir using visually descriptive text of what it is like to be moving through life with a physical disability. She weaves in philosophy (her expertise), with travels, her parents, motherhood, and her inner thoughts. She interrogates the question of beauty and notes that Socrates' quest for perfect beauty is not in physical form but in the mind. She also describes her body moving through spaces and how strangers grab her without asking to help her and she wishes that she could be not seen as helpless but struggling which is different and she can manage thank you very much. She describes how she goes to a "neutral room" in her mind in order to numb the pain of stares and comments from others. This numbness allows her to live among non-disabled people and not internalize all the slights. By the end of the book, she no longer takes insulting comments from others and turns them inward as a weapon against herself, but it is difficult. This book is so moving and I loved how she describes interacting with physical spaces and particularly loved her descriptions of mothering her son Wolfgang. I highly recommend this book.

EASY BEAUTY is beautiful, thought-provoking book that lives up to the hype. I couldn't stop reading it.

I can truly say this book is absolutely unique. Not because the book is “about disability, motherhood, and a journey to far-flung places in search of a new way of seeing and being seen” — to quote the book’s description. It’s because of the very personal, unvarnished, and “call it the way they are” experiences that the author starkly shares with us that makes it so. Her blunt honesty on how and what she experiences everyday brings discomfit and shock — from what people say and do — knowingly or without malice, but nonetheless hurtful. Sadly yes, people’s reactions to disability or otherness are often clueless, cringeworthy, and hurtful. She made me stop and think and examine how what I might say would come across. Chloe Cooper Jones puts it all out there. She lives every day with sacral agenesis and the physical, emotional, mental, and psychological pain of it. She is an accomplished mother, partner, professor, traveler and much more. Most of all I was impressed by her determination and her gutsiness , especially her trips to Italy and Cambodia. I chuckled when she played her part real well and was ushered under the chain fence at a concert to a prime spot! This is a one of a kind book, which I highly recommend. Don’t read it if you’re looking to feel warm, fuzzy, and applaud an individual who has overcome so much. Read it to feel the pain, discomfit, and the hard truth about living with disability and more, the harsh realities of everyday life someone like Chloe Cooper Jones handles, and most importantly, how she succeeds in living her life. That’s what earned my 5-star rating. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Part travel journal, philosophical musings and vulnerable glimpses, Easy Beauty is Chloe Cooper Jones’ rebellion against a world where the standard for beauty is one-dimensional and narrow. This piercing and blunt memoir will not comfort you, it will challenge you and your perception of beauty in our culture.

Jones doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, instead, she meets them head-on, looks them straight in the face, and offers up her own brave soliloquies. She explores the concept of beauty and what it means to be beautiful, and how someone or something can be considered beautiful without conforming to beauty standards. Her exploration of beauty is laid out thoughtfully as she takes an impromptu trip to Italy, and her thoughts on her body are put on display as she parcels through Greek mythology, the human form, architecture, community, belonging and so much more.

When I first began this, I was close to putting it down b/c it made me uncomfortable but that itself was a reason to push on. I am glad to have seen the world through Jones’ eyes just for a moment.

Her memoir is chockfull of revelatory reflections but at times it did feel like wading through high waters where I felt lost and a little confused. I will admit that a lot of the philosophical musings went above my head, but I could still appreciate Chloe’s astuteness and clear wisdom on the subjects she spoke about.

If you’re in the mood for a thought-provoking, culturally challenging and eye-opening read then Easy Beauty should be next on your list. This is a heavy read but it’s so very important. I look forward to rereading this for years to come.

Easy Beauty by Chloe Cooper Jones
Narrated by the Author

5 Stars

This is a beautiful memoir by an incredibly smart, funny and talented writer. Cooper Jones shares many stories of her life as a person with a physical disability, using those anecdotes to talk about the meaning of beauty. As a professor of philosophy, Cooper Jones is able to share the ideas of philosophers in a bright and interesting way. I felt that I was getting so many lessons from a master in teaching, who respected my intellect as a reader, never over-explaining or talking down. There are thought-provoking ideas here that I will be mulling over for quite some time. I’ll be seeking out further writing by Chloe Cooper Jones.

From the first vivid scenes to the last, Chloe Cooper Jones has us in her grip. Powerful new ways of looking at bodies and aesthetics, combined with her own powerful story. Recommended.

Easy Beauty is a thought-provoking blend of memoir and philosophical exploration (which at times I think I wasn't quite smart enough to follow). Jones examines the intersection of beauty and disability from all angles, both from within and outside herself, forcing the reader to confront their own biases and prejudices.

This is a memoir that includes themes on motherhood and disability. This book is so deep and has a lot of heart. I commend the author for being so vulnerable.

Jones is a superb writer. As she shares her journey living with sacral agenesis, parenthood, as well as the world often treating her unkindly, she leaves the reader in a reflective state of what it would be like to walk a day in her shoes along with how we treat the disabled. The cruel world and actions of society are shocking as Jones handles herself with grace, strength, and determination. I certainly found comments and reactions made by others completely disgusting - I know all too well they exist, like Jones I’m invisible or the brunt of hurtful remarks and side glances. Like Jones, I’m disabled relating to her memoir all too well.

Jones faces numerous challenges, she never allows these snags to define her, making her one-dimensional. Growing as a person, her son her world, we witness Jones blossom ultimately revealing her true beauty with unabashed authentic acceptance.

Inspiring story. Great book to understand challenges faced by the disabled, even greater insight into how society views disabled people, and more importantly how NOT to act.