My Perfect Imperfections is a contemporary fiction novel written by Jalpa Williby. When Lily and Layna were born, the doctors advised their parents that Lily had cerebral palsy. It had happened to many other parents, they said, and Lily and the rest of the family would learn to cope with it. Lily couldn’t move like her twin sister did as they were growing up, and she was unable to even feed herself. The physical therapy that was an essential part of her life was something she actually looked forward to. The therapists treated her like they would any other patient, and they pushed her to her limits. When she was finally able to walk with the aid of a rear-assisted walker, her parents beamed with pride, and Lily herself was incredulous at being able to stand and move without someone else’s assistance. Lily was mainstreamed in school for most of her classes. She had a speech device that allowed her to communicate with others, and one of her arms was strong enough to let her control her wheelchair. That control was so important to Lily -- it was independence, the ability to leave a situation unaided. But throughout all the strangeness of growing up with cerebral palsy, Layna was there with her. They were best friends and soulmates in a way that some twins are, even with the disease that made Lily’s life so restricted and different. Layna was there.

Jalpa Williby’s contemporary fiction novel, My Perfect Imperfections, is an inspiring and moving story about a young woman who was born with cerebral palsy. The heroine of this tale does not inspire the reader’s pity or sympathy, but rather their admiration as she goes from accepting her imperfections to training on a professional level to help other disabled persons live full and satisfying lives. While this novel is categorized as an inspirational one, it’s also a coming of age, a romance, and a family saga that feels a lot like a fictionalized memoir as well, and it succeeds in all those genres. I learned a great deal about cerebral palsy and what the life of a person with that condition would be like in My Perfect Imperfections and am so pleased to have read it. Lily’s story is exceptionally well told and very authentic. It’s most highly recommended.

My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby is the story of Lily Cooper, a woman born with Cerebral Palsy. My Perfect Imperfections starts with Lily telling how she thinks doctors told her parents about her condition and then goes on to Lily telling the rest of her life story. Lily tells you about everything; from her early years, the cruelty of kids in school and the cruelty of adults in college. She tells about her fears but, most importantly, about her triumphs and success at overcoming and dealing with the problems she faces due to Cerebral Palsy and with all the bad that life throws at her. Through it all, Lily shows her strength and tenacity at living her life the way that she wants to live it.

My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby is an amazing book told in the first person, with clear detail and great imagery that puts you in Lily's shoes or watching right over her shoulder. My Perfect Imperfections will pull at your heart strings as Lily experiences the ups and downs of life and the ups and downs of her disability. I cried, laughed, smiled, and cried again as I put myself into Lily's shoes. My Perfect Imperfections was very hard to put down. It was an eye opener as well; it gives a glimpse into what life would be like with a debilitating disease and that you can't let life pass you by - you have to grab it with both hands and experience the ups and downs that life has to offer.