Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

Nora Shalaway Carpenter · Mercedes Acosta · Marcella Pixley · Alechia Dow · Patrick Downes · Nikki Grimes · Francisco Stork · Ebony Stewart · Isabel Quintero · Rocky Callen · Jonathan Kastin · Sonia Patel · James Bird · Karen Bao · Anna Drury · Val Howlett

Aug 2023 · RB Media · Narrated by Vico Ortiz, Ana Osorio, Sophie Oda, Maxwell Glick, Merissa Czyz, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, and Priya Ayyar

About this audiobook

Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection of fiction.

A boxer whose strength is tested more outside the ring than in it. A hiker who develops magical powers when her serotonin is finally balanced. A teen activist wrestling with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A boy whose uncontrollable tears help enable another’s healing ...

In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before.

Through powerful prose and verse, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes and remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean you are defined by it.

About the author

Nikki Grimes was born and raised in New York City. She began writing poetry at age six and is well-known for writing award-winning books primarily for children and young adults. Bronx Masquerade and Talkin' About Bessie both won Coretta Scott King Awards, and her poetry collections featuring Danitra Brown are very popular. Grimes received the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2006. She has written articles for magazines including Essence and Today's Christian Woman, as well as hosted radio programs in New York and Sweden. She has lectured and read her poetry at schools in Russia, China, Sweden, and Tanzania. Grimes is also a prolific artist, creating works of fiber art, beaded jewelry, peyote beading, handmade cards, and photography.