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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this a lot.
I'm conditioned by the contemporary moment to expect virulent transphobia at every turn whenever I read trans narratives — both within the text and externally in coverage of it. And while there is, naturally, moments of transphobic violence in this book (and thus in Jacques' life), I find there are many more moments in which it is demonstrated that acceptance and support do exist and can exist.
Her relationship with her parents is extremely moving, and I found her journey with them in particular to be very poignant.
I'm conditioned by the contemporary moment to expect virulent transphobia at every turn whenever I read trans narratives — both within the text and externally in coverage of it. And while there is, naturally, moments of transphobic violence in this book (and thus in Jacques' life), I find there are many more moments in which it is demonstrated that acceptance and support do exist and can exist.
Her relationship with her parents is extremely moving, and I found her journey with them in particular to be very poignant.
Trans: A Memoir jumped out at me when I saw it on the shelves. It wasn't mystically titled, trying to apply a soft focus to what the book was really about so that people would pick it up. A blunt title that told you everything you needed to know and I wanted to read it. Jacques' articles were vaguely familiar to me although I've heard from numerous people that she was someone to look into (note, I intend to read more of her work after reading this book). Jacques doesn't just discuss her transition process, she discusses films, music, literature and football, and it was nice to see a collage of her interests around her story. There were moments where I found reading this book difficult due to my own experiences; maybe some people could find this book purely helpful whereas I found it, in some segments, triggering. However, this is a really strong memoir about an even stronger woman, and I'm sure anyone who is going through the same things, knows someone who is, or merely has an interest in gender itself, will thoroughly enjoy as well as appreciate this book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
rating memoirs is weird so just 5 starring to increase the gr average! this was so insightful, definitely interesting to read more about the medical transition process
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I rarely read autobiographical books, but I really enjoyed this one. Through emotional and detailed accounts, Juliet brings her experiences to life with references to people, places, film music and literature, and you really get to know her personally. I learned about gender dysphoria, an area about which I previously didn't know much. The academic in me also enjoyed the frequent references to trans theory.
I liked getting the chance to see the process Jacques's transition took in the UK. I was particularly interested in the NHS's coverage and process and its differences between processes of insurance companies in the US. I found myself skimming sections though, especially those that felt tediously disconnected from Jacques's experience. This felt like one part memoir, but two parts "how to struggle as a writer in the UK."
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Juliet Jacques writes so beautifully and honestly, I highly recommend this book to anyone!