This book changed my life.
It’s about a child who was born with both male and female reproductive organs to parents in a tiny town in northern Canada. The child’s parents raised him as a boy, and they kept his true nature a secret, but as he hits puberty, his body begins to reveal the girl that been hidden inside for years.
I was not born an intersex child (though my own hormone balance is questionable), but reading this book, I felt and thought many of the exact same things that this character did. And, as someone who has been dysphoric and identifies as both male and (slightly more) female, I felt like I was learning more and more about myself as I turned each page. I’m planning to begin hormone therapy myself, to move closer to a better hybrid of boy and girl, and this book has been a source of inspiration. And what a beautiful boy (or girl) on the cover.
If you have any interest in gender studies or the sociology of gender identity, you must read this book. It’s simply gorgeous, and quietly powerful.
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Here’s a great review from The Independent newspaper in the UK. :)