A Veritable Household Pet (Viggy Parr Hampton)

A woman who was non-consensually lobotomized as a child tells her story, with commentary from her sister-caretaker. There’s body horror, as you might expect, but what makes this book stand out is the nuanced and sympathetic portrayals of the main characters, even when they are behaving badly. Both of their lives are scarred by betrayal, and Parr never pretends that the trauma they experience is a stand-in for virtue. Instead, she makes you feel how hard it is for these characters to choose love, hope, and compassion - so that when they do manage it, you understand just what they've achieved.