Just Jen: Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis

Jen Powley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at fifteen. By thirty-five, she had lost the use of her arms and legs. Just Jen is a powerful memoir that tells the story of Powley’s life at the time of her diagnosis, and the infinite, irrevocable ways it has changed since. Powley’s writing pulls no punches. She is lively, bold and unapologetic, answering questions people are often afraid to ask about living with a progressive disease. And yet, these snapshots from Powley’s life are not tinged with anger or despair. Just Jen is a powerful, uplifting and unforgettable work by an author who has laid her life — and her body — bare in order to survive. “Powley is fearless, not only in the way she lives her life but also in her willingness to call the rest of us on our b-s in the way we too often deal with people with disabilities. But she does it all with a self-deprecating wit and a twinkle in her eye that makes us want to be better than we are.”— Stephen Kimber, author of What Lies Across the Water