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serendipitysbooks's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Female Husbands looks at those who were assigned female at birth, raised as girls, but were later found to be living as men. The focus is on the UK and USA from the middle of the eighteenth century until just before World War I. Despite the relatively slim number of cases and the limitations of the records, looking at them through a careful modern lens was quite revealing about the conceptions and realities of sex and gender at the time. I found the details of each person’s life interesting - how they lived, if they married, how and why they came to public attention, their stated motivations, if any were given, for trans-ing their gender, and how they were treated as a result. I also appreciated seeing those who transed gender placed in the wider, and changing, political, economic and social context of the time. Personally though I found the book a little repetitive, almost trying too hard to stress it’s message. It’s length could have been reduced with nothing substantial lost.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Classism
sarah_speaks's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Well-researched and provides a much-needed account of trans folks in history. Unfortunately I was not a fan of the author’s writing style, so I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Outing, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism, Classism, and Sexual content
Minor: Forced institutionalization
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