A Face for Picasso, Ariel Henley
A Face for Picasso, Ariel Henley
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A Face for Picasso
Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome

Author: Ariel Henley

Narrator: Ariel Henley

Unabridged: 8 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 11/02/2021


Synopsis

There was danger in the kind of beauty I was desperate to achieve.

At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome—a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it.

Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous medical procedures to keep them alive. Doctors expanded the twins’ skulls and broke bones to make room for their growing organs. After each surgery, the sisters felt like strangers to each
other, unable to recognize themselves in the mirror. Their case attracted international attention. A French fashion magazine said Ariel and Zan “resembled the works of Picasso,” as if they were abstract paintings, not girls just trying to survive.

Later, plastic surgeons cut and trimmed and tugged their faces toward a tenuous aesthetic ideal. The girls dreamed of appearing “beautiful” but would settle for “normal.”

Fighting for acceptance was a daily chore. Between besting middle school bullies, becoming a cheerleader in high school, and finding her literary voice in college, Ariel learned to navigate a beauty-obsessed world with a facial disfigurement to
become the woman she is today.

From a resonant new voice, here is an unforgettable young adult memoir about beauty, sisterhood, and the strength it takes to put your life—and yourself—back together, time and time again.

Reviews

Henley has written a raw and beautiful memoir that made me forget the world around me. Henley knows how to write and she choose memories from her childhood that made you feel it was a continuous recollection without holes in it. It was hard to read about her and her twins operations, and the issues......more

Goodreads review by Emily

I've long admired Ariel's writing. She strikes the perfect balance between pushing you to reconsider your views while making it feel as though you're reading a letter from a friend. Her book is a masterclass in this style. There was so much nuance and depth in how Ariel conveyed her past that it unea......more