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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
This was a compelling personal story and an enlightening read. I've lived in Calgary for over 20 years and I enjoyed reading a memoir set partly in a place I know so well. I also know a number of people who have transitioned, and while the author makes it clear that he is telling his own story and it may not be generalizable to others, I felt I came away from the book with a deeper understanding.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, Alcohol, Dysphoria
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Death of parent
Minor: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I searched and searched for a ‘book written by a non-binary or transgender person’ to include for my 2020 reading challenge. I ended up purchasing this, and I am so glad I held out to find this deeply moving true story. The fact that the writer and story are Canadian makes it that much better.
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An interesting and reflective read on trans-gender issues that does not over-glamourise or simplify the hurdles Lorimer faced
Thank you to Lorimer Shenher for sharing his intensely personal struggles and triumphs in this book. I have been tolerant of trans people in the past, but I had a lot of questions that would have been rude or impertinent. His writing helped answer those questions. It certainly helped me understand the internal emotional life of a trans person (to the extent that one person's experiences can be generalized). Congratulations to him on living his life the way that he knew he was meant to.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Memoirs of a trans guy who grew up in a similar enough setting to my dad that I asked Dad if he knew him (no, but knew his dad), which was slightly trippy. A lot of the book is about dysphoria, shame and guilt, as one would somewhat expect growing up trans and Catholic in Alberta in the 1960s (not great, Skippy). For all that, it didn't feel like a complete downer? I liked how hard Shenher was trying, and how he kept letting himself be vulnerable, and keeping the possibility of hope open. Though admittedly is was heartwrenching to read how often he'd feel just on the verge of transitioning, and then not do it. For decades.
Shenher is mostly known in Canada for being the lead detective on what turned into the worst serial killer case in Canadian history, and though the book deals with his police work, and his frustration at the failures of policing (especially in regards to marginalised communities), it doesn't deal heavily with the gory details.
Shenher is mostly known in Canada for being the lead detective on what turned into the worst serial killer case in Canadian history, and though the book deals with his police work, and his frustration at the failures of policing (especially in regards to marginalised communities), it doesn't deal heavily with the gory details.
This is an OLA Forest of Reading Evergreen Award Nominee for 2020 and without it being on that list, I may never have picked it up. I enjoy this book mostly as an audiobook and reading it has certainly helped me to build empathy and understanding for the transgender community. Lorimer wrote openly about his experiences and struggles growing up. He has always felt like a boy on the inside, even from a young age and no matter how hard he tried to surpress that truth or his feelings, it always was bubbling below the surface. I appreciate how he shared with readers stories of his career paths, his family, and his hopes and dreams. It really opened my eyes. I am new to reading in the LGBTQ+ area and I am glad that I started with a memoir before diving into #ownvoices literature.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced