"She’s Not There, A Life in Two Genders” by Jennifer Finney Boylan, a review.

[HelenW]

Facebook is one helluva thing, innit?  A few weeks ago I saw a notice on my "news feed" from a Facebook friend, a woman I've never met except through her writing but really admire, Jennifer Finney Boylan.  She was announcing the imminent publication of a tenth anniversary edition of a book she wrote, titled, "She's Not There, a Life in Two Genders" with an invitation to trans bloggers to write a review in return for free, advance copies.  "Free books?" I thought to myself, "Cool!  Free is a good thing, especially when it's about books!"  So I sent a Facebook message to Ms Boylan telling her about my rarely updated blog and my willingness to give this reviewing thing a try.  "Finally," I thought, "my minor in Literature pays off!"

I only half expected this to bear fruit.  I figured my blog was too obscure, with too small a readership to interest a big publishing house like Broadway Paperbacks, a division of Random House no less, so I was pretty surprised when it showed up in my mailbox about a week ago.  They also sent me a copy (hardcover!) of her latest, "Stuck In The Middle With You, A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders."  Schweeet!  I'll write about that one when I finish reading it.

So I started rereading "She's Not There" from the new edition.  I'd originally read this book back in 2006, the year I started therapy and, eventually, hormone therapy.  I remember reading and identifying with the things she wrote even though the circumstances of my life were so different from hers.  I puzzled about this a bit but didn't pursue it.  I certainly had a lot of other, more important things to deal with back then.  I do remember thoroughly enjoying the read.  I've always loved books and the escape they offered back when I was a kid but this wasn't so much of an escape, because it rang so true to me.  The cure to that, however, was that she is so damn hilarious.  There's a lot in there that is really funny.  In a good way, one that doesn't hurt people.

http://emelyes-kitchen.blogspot.com/2013/04/shes-not-there-life-in-two-genders-by.html

[Jamie Marie]

I just picked up a copy of the first one last week and am about half way through it. Some it I have trouble following when it jumps around, but I can identify with so many things in the book and look forward to picking up the new books as soon as I can. Looks like a great read. I'd say Jennifer definitely has an interesting and unique writing style.