In This Altered Body is the compelling story of Charlene’s physical and emotional odyssey to reclaim her life and identity after surviving a tragedy that left her facially disfigured and
grieving. As Charlene begins the long, painful process of recovery, she fears she will never be loved again, because her outward beauty has been destroyed and our society, obsessed with flawless skin and superficial beauty, stigmatizes disfigurement. But through dogged determination, Charlene overcomes difficult obstacles both physical and emotional—and learns from the experiences of other burn survivors to never write off her dreams and to be open to possibilities . . . including love. Brimming with insight from a life of perseverance.
2025 IBPA Book Award, Silver Winner for the disabled communities category.
2025 Feathered Quill Book Award Winner for the Inspirational category.
2024 IAN Book of the Year Award, Grand Prize Non-Fiction Books of the Year, Second Place.
BRAGG Award and Finalist in the 2025 HEARTEN Awards for Uplifting and Inspiring Narrative Non-Fiction, a division of the CIBAs
Advertising Excludes Women With Faces Like Mine
How can I "be her" if I never "see her" in the media?
Psychology Today, March 29, 2023 Reviewed by Gary Drevitch
We recommend these carefully selected resources, spanning memoir, research, fiction, and clinical guides to individuals, families, and healthcare providers as companions on the journey of living with and understanding facial and physical disfigurement/difference. Together they illuminate the psychological, social, and emotional dimensions of visible difference and offer tools for building connection and confidence.
EDUCATIONAL BOOKS:
1. Goffman, Erving. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Touchstone, 1986.
2. Lansdown, Richard, Rumsey Nichola, Bradbury Eileen, Tony Carr, and James Partridge. Visibly Different: Coping with Disfigurement. Hodder Arnold Publishers, 1997.
3. Trust, Doreen. Overcoming Disfigurement: Defeating the Problems – Physical, Social and Emotional. Thorsons, 1986.
4. Hughes, Michael. The Social Consequences of Facial Disfigurement. Avebury, 1998.
5. Rumsey, Nichola, and Diana Harcourt. The Psychology of Appearance. Open University Press, 2005. <>.
6. Beuf, Ann. Beauty Is the Beast: Appearance-Impaired Children in America. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1990.
7. Grogan, Sarah. Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women and Children. Routledge, 1998.
8. Kemp, Sandra. Future Face: Image, Identity, Innovation. Profile Books, 2005.
9. Cole, Jonathan. About Face. A Bradford Book , 1999.
10. Lytsy, Anna. Another Face. Mun-H-Center Forlag, 2006.
11. Williams, Kipling, Joseph Forgas, and William Von Hippel. The Social Outcast: Ostracism, Social Exclusion, Rejection, and Bullying. Psychology Press, 2005.
12. Rice , Carla. Talking about Body Image, Identity, Disability, and Difference: A Facilitator’s Manual. 2003. {This is a .pdf manual – no link available}
13. Bradbury, Eileen. Counselling People with Disfigurement. Wiley-Blackwell, 1996.
14. Partridge, James. Changing Faces: The Challenge of Facial Disfigurement. London, 1994.
15. Demarais, Ann, and Valerie White. First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You. Bantam, 2005.
16. Sheldrake, Rupert. Sense of Being Stared at. Random House, 2004.
17. Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. Vintage Books, 1991.
18. Deits, Bob. Life After Loss: A Personal Guide Dealing With Death, Divorce, Job Change and Relocation. Da Capo Press, 2000.
19. Charkins, Hope. Children with Facial Difference: A Parents’ Guide. Woodbine House, 1996.
20. Huddleston, Peggy. Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide Of Mind-Body Techniques. Angel River Press, 1996.
21. Macgregor, Frances. After plastic surgery: Adaptation and adjustment. Praeger, 1979.
22. Bernstein, Norman. Emotional Care of the Facially Burned and Disfigured. Little Brown & Co., 1976.
Representation/Beauty and Culture
1. Etcoff, Nancy. Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty. Anchor, 2000.
2. Lopez, Kristin. Popcorn Disability
3. Wong, Alice. Disability Visability: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
4. Talley, Heather. Saving Face: Disfigurement & the Politics of Appearance
FICTION – MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
1. Palacio, R.J. Wonder. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012.
2. Flake, Sharon. The Skin I’m In. Jump At The Sun, 1900.
3. Lang, Diane. The Fat Boy Chronicles. Sleeping Bear Press, 2010.
4. Byrd, Lee. Riley’s Fire. A Shannon Ravenel Book, 2006.
5. Abbott, Tony. Firegirl. Brown Books for Young Readers, 2007.
6. Stewart, Erin. Scars Like Wings
7. Henley, Ariel. A Face for Picasso: A Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome
CHILDREN’S FICTION
1. Dr. Seuss, First. The Sneetches and Other Stories. Random House, 1961.
ADULT NON-FICTION
1. Sonnenberg, Joel, and Gregg Lewis. Joel. Zondervan, 2004.
2. Fisher , Mark. The Instant Millionaire: A Tale of Wisdom and Wealth. New World Library, 1993.
3. Connolly, Kevin. Double Take: A Memoir. Harper, 2009.
4. Nielson, Stephanie. Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy. Voice, 2012.
5. King, Sorrel. Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008.
6. Grealy, Lucy. Autobiography of a Face. Houghton Misslin Co., 1994.
7. Greenwald, Laura. Eye of the Beholder: True Stories of People with Facial Differences. Kaplan Publishing, 2009.
8. Kirberger, Kimberly. No Body’s Perfect: Stories by Teens about Body Image, Self-Acceptance, and the Search for Identity. Scholastic Paperbacks, 2003.
9. Birdwell, Brian, Mel Birdwell, and Ginger Kolbaba. Refined by Fire: A Family’s Triumph of Love and Faith. Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.
10. Manning, Greg. Love, Greg & Lauren. Bantam, 2002.
11. Manning, Lauren. Unmeasured Strength. Henry Holt and Co., 2011.
12. Goldman, Jami. Up and Running: The Jami Goldman Story. Atria Books, 2002.
13. Heagy, Ron, and Donita Dyer. Never Give Up: How Tragedy Taught Me That Life Is an Attitude. Harvest House Publications, 2002.
14. Tynan, Ronan. Halfway Home: My Life ’til Now. Scribner, 2001.
15. Broaddus, Cindi, and Kimberly Suiters. A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive . William Morrow, 2005.
16. Mitchell, W., and Brad Lemley. The Man Who Would Not Be Defeated. Wrs Pub, 1993.
17. Mitchell, W. It’s Not What Happens to You, It’s What You Do about It . Partners Publishers Group, 1997.
18. Pessotti, George. Reason for Living: A Burn Survivor’s Story of Hope and Rebirth. Our American Journeys, 2005.
19. Deguire, Lise. Flashback Girl
20. van der Kolk, Bessel, M.D. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
21. Human, Judith. Being Human
22. Shah, Bijal, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading
23. Mendillo, Amy. I’ve Just Seen a Face: A Practical and Emotional Guide for Parents of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate
24. Laduau, Emily. Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, How to be an Ally
25. Garland-Thompson, Staring: How We Look
26. Fitzharris, Lindsey. The Facemaker
27. Martinez, J. R. Full of Heart
28. Okwuchi, Kechi. More than My Scars
29. Ruhl, Sarah. Smile: The Story of a Face
30. O’Leary, John. On Fire. (Soul on Fire film was based on John’s story).
31. Nayer, Louise. Burned: A Memoir
32. Piper, Katie. Beautiful.
ARTICLES AND SCHOLARLY WORKS
1. Beauty and the Doctor: Moral Issues in Health Care with Regard to Appearance. European Commission Research on Bioethics.
2. The Spotlight Effect in Social Judgment: An Egocentric Bias in Estimates of the Salience of One’s Own Actions and Appearance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000, Vol. 78, No. 2, 211-222.
3. Tools to Handle Questions and Teasing. Phoenix Society Burn Support News, Fall 2001 Issue 3.
4. Pell, Charlene. An Inside Look At Being Outside of Ordinary. About Face, Spring Edition 2013.
5. Pell, Charlene, Now I Can See the Trees, the Flowers, the Birds, the Sky and the Rain. The Stories, Experiences of Relationship-Centered Care, Fetzer Institute, 2001 : 11-13
VIDEOS:
1. John, Cleese, writ. Dir. Erskine James . The Human Face. BBC: 2001. Television.
2. Perrett, David, dir. Face Value: Perceptions of Beauty. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2006. Film.
3. The Face: The Evolution of Beauty. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 1998. Film.