Mary's review
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders
by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Goodreads author!)
Mary's review
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Goodreads author!)
Mary's review
rating:
recommended for: anyone who likes memoir, is interested in gender, or has a heart in working order
I picked up She's Not There, Jenny Boylan's memoir on her experiences as a transsexual, at the Strand in NYC; I've wanted to read it for years as part of my growing interest in gender studies. What I didn't realize was how much I would love the book for its literary value; amusingly, (given the number of times Boylan mentions the lack of recognition she receives as an author, before or after transitioning) I did not realize she was an English professor or author. Not only an author but a good one, who I should have been compelled to read as much on my major's basis as for my minor's sake. Thus, I was happily surprised to discover a compelling, "beautifully-crafted," (to steal an overly-used review phrase) and often hilarious piece (transsexuality *funny*? really?) that I suspect will stay in my collection for years to come. (And not just because I'm a hopeless packrat.) Highly and more-highly recommended.
