More of You: The Fat Girl’s Field Guide to the Modern World

Fat & Faithful podcaster Beck (Lovely) delivers an upbeat manifesto about thriving as a fat woman. “Any body—no matter its size, ability, or level of health—can have a deep and meaningful relationship with God,” Beck contends, blending personal stories, social analysis, and scriptural interpretation to outline a Christian-centric vision of fat positivity. She covers such core tenets of fat activism as the reappropriation of fat as a neutral descriptor, the rejection of diet culture, and the right to compassionate healthcare, recounting her struggle to receive proper treatment for someone her size when she was hospitalized with Covid-19. Offering historical perspective, Beck traces anti-fatness’s origins to white European efforts to denigrate Black bodies, and she discusses the role of fetishism in the early days of the fat liberation movement. She bolsters her “fat girl’s bill of rights” with biblical references, citing the gospel of Matthew to demand autonomy over one’s body and Peter’s vision in Acts 10 to defend eating what one wants. Beck’s life-affirming attitude, no-nonsense style, and mantras of self-love (“I have the right to take up space,” “My body is a trustworthy storyteller”) make this a superlative volume. This is an outstanding addition to fat positivity literature. (May)