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A review by thebooknerdscorner
About Bliss: Fighting for My Trans Son's Life, Joy, and Fertility by Cristina Olivetti
5.0
A thought-provoking memoir that explores one supportive mother and the lengths that she goes to show her trans son that she is on his side no matter what.
When I got an email asking if I wanted to read and promote "About Bliss," I was instantly intrigued. It's not often that a trans memoir hits my inbox, so I instantly hit the apply button. I'm glad that I was approved, because this is the type of LGBTQIA+ resource that I'm happy to know exists. It's written by one of the most supportive mothers I have ever encountered and will make a great resource for parents of transgender teens or other individuals who are wanting to learn more about life as a trans kid in the United States during a tumultuous era (that we are still living through today in 2025).
This book was written for two main reasons, as far as I understand. One, to help Cristina's son, Jake, better comprehend his own journey as a trans child in which his parents had control over many important decisions involving his future and the healthcare that he would receive. And two, to help other parents of trans children learn to better understand their own children and provide them with resources to help them be better, more supportive parents of trans kids. I think that this is an imperative resource for many other people, not just parents of trans and gender nonconforming children. The reflection questions may not be as helpful to other individuals, but that doesn't mean that this book won't help others gain empathy for their fellow humans and help enlighten them on many things that they've probably never stopped to think about before.
Olivetti's memoir dives deeply into the politics, healthcare treatments, and other news centered around trans teens in the United States. The subject matter in this book occurred during the end of the Obama legislation into the beginning of the Trump legislation (and COVID, yippee), so these are certainly trying times for trans kids. I am sad to say that we are regressing in many ways since the events of this book happened, and I am wishing the best to Jake and all the other trans people who are being so poorly mistreated in this day and age.
Throughout the course of this novel, Cristina interviews many different leaders that are standing up for trans rights, equality, and safe healthcare practices. These segments take a break from Jake's personal plight and showcase the many positive ways that people are standing up for the LGBTQIA+ community and putting up a fight for equal human rights.
This book is written in second person, which I think is such a powerful tool to use when talking about trans and gender nonconforming people. I've seen this done once in the past, so I was quite used to this method that enhances the ease of telling a story featuring someone who has gone by various pronouns throughout their life.
I think my biggest concern about this book is how quickly the information in it will (and already has) changed and become inaccurate. It took this story over five years to make its way into the world in a traditionally published format, and I can already see how this book has aged. Luckily, it is still a great historical piece logging Jake's journey and offers a great snapshot of trans life in 2019-2020. And many of the same political issues and notoriously disgusting mindsets still exist, so this book is still as prevalent as the moment Olivetti first penned it.
I would love it if Olivetti would write more about her other life experiences that don't surround her child. In the acknowledgements, she talks about so many things that really intrigue me. I mean, she's met Cheryl Strayed, for Pete's sake! But what I would most love to hear more about is her experience being a caretaker for her husband who has ALS (AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease). This is another super personal topic, so I understand if she wouldn't want to share all of this with the world. She handled this book with such grace and nuance, though, so I feel many could benefit from her take on that experience, too.
Overall, "About Bliss" is an enlightening memoir that is both moving and educational. This book is the perfect role-model for parents of transgender and gender nonconforming children, but it is a book that most people could learn a ton from. I feel that this book could teach anyone a bit more about the unfortunate circumstances that trans people in the United States (and around the world) are being forced to fight against on a daily basis. Cristina is a S-tier mother, and I am so grateful that people like her exist to stand up for our children and make the world a better place one day at a time. I would love to read more of her work in the future!
When I got an email asking if I wanted to read and promote "About Bliss," I was instantly intrigued. It's not often that a trans memoir hits my inbox, so I instantly hit the apply button. I'm glad that I was approved, because this is the type of LGBTQIA+ resource that I'm happy to know exists. It's written by one of the most supportive mothers I have ever encountered and will make a great resource for parents of transgender teens or other individuals who are wanting to learn more about life as a trans kid in the United States during a tumultuous era (that we are still living through today in 2025).
This book was written for two main reasons, as far as I understand. One, to help Cristina's son, Jake, better comprehend his own journey as a trans child in which his parents had control over many important decisions involving his future and the healthcare that he would receive. And two, to help other parents of trans children learn to better understand their own children and provide them with resources to help them be better, more supportive parents of trans kids. I think that this is an imperative resource for many other people, not just parents of trans and gender nonconforming children. The reflection questions may not be as helpful to other individuals, but that doesn't mean that this book won't help others gain empathy for their fellow humans and help enlighten them on many things that they've probably never stopped to think about before.
Olivetti's memoir dives deeply into the politics, healthcare treatments, and other news centered around trans teens in the United States. The subject matter in this book occurred during the end of the Obama legislation into the beginning of the Trump legislation (and COVID, yippee), so these are certainly trying times for trans kids. I am sad to say that we are regressing in many ways since the events of this book happened, and I am wishing the best to Jake and all the other trans people who are being so poorly mistreated in this day and age.
Throughout the course of this novel, Cristina interviews many different leaders that are standing up for trans rights, equality, and safe healthcare practices. These segments take a break from Jake's personal plight and showcase the many positive ways that people are standing up for the LGBTQIA+ community and putting up a fight for equal human rights.
This book is written in second person, which I think is such a powerful tool to use when talking about trans and gender nonconforming people. I've seen this done once in the past, so I was quite used to this method that enhances the ease of telling a story featuring someone who has gone by various pronouns throughout their life.
I think my biggest concern about this book is how quickly the information in it will (and already has) changed and become inaccurate. It took this story over five years to make its way into the world in a traditionally published format, and I can already see how this book has aged. Luckily, it is still a great historical piece logging Jake's journey and offers a great snapshot of trans life in 2019-2020. And many of the same political issues and notoriously disgusting mindsets still exist, so this book is still as prevalent as the moment Olivetti first penned it.
I would love it if Olivetti would write more about her other life experiences that don't surround her child. In the acknowledgements, she talks about so many things that really intrigue me. I mean, she's met Cheryl Strayed, for Pete's sake! But what I would most love to hear more about is her experience being a caretaker for her husband who has ALS (AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease). This is another super personal topic, so I understand if she wouldn't want to share all of this with the world. She handled this book with such grace and nuance, though, so I feel many could benefit from her take on that experience, too.
Overall, "About Bliss" is an enlightening memoir that is both moving and educational. This book is the perfect role-model for parents of transgender and gender nonconforming children, but it is a book that most people could learn a ton from. I feel that this book could teach anyone a bit more about the unfortunate circumstances that trans people in the United States (and around the world) are being forced to fight against on a daily basis. Cristina is a S-tier mother, and I am so grateful that people like her exist to stand up for our children and make the world a better place one day at a time. I would love to read more of her work in the future!