A brave, powerful, and beautifully told story about universal human themes, as well as particular and timely ones: what it means to finally recognize one's true gender identity, and the struggle of living in a world that often fails to respect it. The storytelling is superb, the characters precisely drawn, the dramatic moments skillfully rendered. . . . A necessary book.
--Justin St. Germain, assistant professor, Oregon State University, and author of Son of a Gun
Nate Cannon . . . writes with honesty, clarity, and compassion about his transition from woman to man, addict to survivor, and his maturation into a confident, intelligent, and engaging person. His story is horrific and uplifting, and he gives us all hope as we try to understand and deal with our own difficulties or those of our friends and family. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in gender reassignment, overcoming mental and physical disability, and healing.
--Bernie Santarsiero, director, Research Initiatives, Office of Diversity, University of Illinois at Chicago
This is intentionally not a story with a feel-good, fairy-tale ending, but rather one that illuminates and humanizes the myriad ways in which being transgender can impact relationships, career prospects, financial stability, and health. Readers will find themselves rooting for Nate at each step in his journey and gain insight into the subtle and pronounced ways their own behavior can affect the ability of transgender individuals to gain self-acceptance.
--Ken Abrams, associate professor of psychology, Carleton College
A story filled with courage and hope.
--Sue Abderholden, executive director, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota
