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saturn_xoxo's review against another edition
1.0
In spite of my interest in Billy Tipton, this was absolutely unbearable to read. The constant switching of pronouns was jarring to say the least, and the whole thing felt bordering on transphobia
seamus_j's review against another edition
1.0
The author is extremely offensive in her refusal to consider that her subject may not have been "playing a role" or "deceiving" anyone. It is easy enough to imagine a person dressing up as a different gender in order to obtain access to worlds not easily attainable in their present gender presentation. But to live for all of one's adult life in a single gender presentation without revealing the sex assigned at birth to anyone, including your own wife or child, is a strong case for believing that Billy Tipton was a man and the only "double life" was the childhood period in which he was forced to disguise himself as a girl. We can't know Billy Tipton's gender identity for sure. Such things were simply not spoken of back then. But Diane sure as hell could have respected the identity that Mr. Tipton chose to portray.
vasha's review
2.5
Middlebrook is a graceful writer, and she did a good job tracking down lots of people to interview. Unfortunately she focused too much on the usual gawking outsider's questions of "how did this woman pull off such a deception?" and asking people repeatedly how could they have been fooled? I wish it had been a more empathetic portrait of someone who successfully lived a man's life for decades; the parts that talk about what it was like to live that life, in show business and in mid-century marriages, are good but could be better.
hyzenthlay76's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating biography of a jazz musician who "passed" as a man in the years of vaudeville and the Great Depression. Drawn to this because I have read Middlebrook's biographies of Sylvia Plath/Ted Hughes and Anne Sexton, and because Billy/Dorothy Tipton shared my birthdate, it was a curious snippet of history, although it leaves most questions still unanswered.
readingpanda's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very interesting book about Billy Tipton, a musician in the jazz/swing era who was born a woman but passed as a man almost his entire adult life. It's both fascinating and frustrating trying to dig into how that was possible, and who knew what and when, because he didn't confide in anyone at all.
Nevertheless, the fact that Dorothy Tipton (as Billy was named at birth) started dressing as a man to pursue a career as a musician was definitely known in her home state of Oklahoma and surrounding areas when she started out. As much as a modern reader would expect people in the early part of the 20th century (and in that part of the country) to be up in arms about her cross-dressing, or expose her ruse at any chance, they didn't. Billy was part of the entertainment world, and "show people" had different rules that the average person didn't always understand, but also didn't infringe upon. As Billy found more success as a musician and began moving farther and farther from home, years passed where no one knew his secret. Slowly it became something he really had to take steps to keep hidden, lest he lose everything.
Billy lived with 5 different women over the course of his life, calling them all his wives even though they were never legally married. The women the author spoke to claimed they didn't know Billy's secret, nor did they notice anything amiss in their relationships with him. The truth was revealed when he died, but with very few exceptions, the revelation didn't change how anyone he knew viewed him - he was still remembered as the man they had known, in spite of being physically female.
Nevertheless, the fact that Dorothy Tipton (as Billy was named at birth) started dressing as a man to pursue a career as a musician was definitely known in her home state of Oklahoma and surrounding areas when she started out. As much as a modern reader would expect people in the early part of the 20th century (and in that part of the country) to be up in arms about her cross-dressing, or expose her ruse at any chance, they didn't. Billy was part of the entertainment world, and "show people" had different rules that the average person didn't always understand, but also didn't infringe upon. As Billy found more success as a musician and began moving farther and farther from home, years passed where no one knew his secret. Slowly it became something he really had to take steps to keep hidden, lest he lose everything.
Billy lived with 5 different women over the course of his life, calling them all his wives even though they were never legally married. The women the author spoke to claimed they didn't know Billy's secret, nor did they notice anything amiss in their relationships with him. The truth was revealed when he died, but with very few exceptions, the revelation didn't change how anyone he knew viewed him - he was still remembered as the man they had known, in spite of being physically female.
marthareads's review
3.0
I found this book fascinating, although sometimes frustrating. Middlebrook attempts to delve into Billy's reasons for "passing" without any evidence, really, except for what other people in Billy's life felt to be the cause and the cultural climate. Ultimately, it felt a bit cobbled-together--part musical biography and part gender journey. I also found Middlebrook's use of pronouns confusing, in spite of her explanation in the forward. It did not seem consistent to me, and sometimes felt denigrating of Billy's choices. Ultimately, I found this to be inspiring, in spite of these drawbacks--Bully did what Billy did, and the hows and why were no one else's business. Billy lived life on Billy's terms and was accepted by colleagues, friends, and partners. That's a heck of an achievement.
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