Living Well with Polio

Francine Falk-Allen had polio in 1951 at age 3, was hospitalized for 6 months, and lived most of her life as a handicapped person trying to be a “normie.” Despite her partially-paralyzed leg and severe limp, Francine has traveled the world. She also appeared in the Nobel Prize/PBS documentary, “The War Against Microbes."  Her first book, Not a Poster Child: Living Well with a Disability—A Memoir, won gold and silver awards and was on several best books lists in 2018 and 2019. Her newest book is No Spring Chicken: Stories and Advice from a Wild Handicapper on Aging and Disability.  Francine resides in Marin County with her husband and spends a significant amount of time managing the effects of post-polio and facilitating a polio survivors’ group and a writing group.