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She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders


by Jennifer Finney Boylan

List Price: $14.95
Price: $10.17
You Save: $4.78 (32%)
Available: Usually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank: 14916
Studio: Broadway
Binding: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: August 10, 2004
Publisher: Broadway


EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description

The provocative bestseller She’s Not There is the winning, utterly surprising story of a person changing genders. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Jennifer Finney Boylan explores the territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of family. Told in Boylan’s fresh voice, She’s Not There is about a person bearing and finally revealing a complex secret. Through her clear eyes, She’s Not There provides a new window on the confounding process of accepting our true selves.

“Probably no book I’ve read in recent years has made me so question my basic assumptions about both the centrality and the permeability of gender, and made me recognize myself in a situation I’ve never known and have never faced . . . The universality of the astonishingly uncommon: that’s the trick of She’s Not There. And with laughs, too. What a good book.” —Anna Quindlen, from the Introduction to the Book-of-the-Month-Club edition.



CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 76 reviews)

Somewhat Engaging book on the hardships of a Transsexual  
I read this book in order to learn more about transsexuality after reading True Selves because a friend of mine recently came out and I was totally blown away. Ms Boylan tries her best to sort out her pros and cons of accepting who she is throughout the book that represents her life. She suppresses and tries to accept her identity as a Male from childhood to adulthood without much success. Even though she tells side stories of others she has met along the way I do not think Ms Boylan truly recognizes that she has a privilege over others like her because of the accepting community she lives in and her wealth. Since the book is also a little self obsessed at times I think is the reason I gave this product three stars.
July 22, 2008

Hard to Follow  
While I appreciate the courage it must have taken the author to write this story of her life I found this book difficult to follow. It jumps around in time which in this particular case made it difficult for me to really gain a sense of what the author's journey entailed. If you are looking for a book that reads like a story versus an informative resource on transgendered individuals then this might be for you. Personally I was hoping for more of the latter.
July 12, 2008

A life in two genders - a poignant and painful rendering....  
A few years ago, I was perusing a beloved local bookstore when I came across this book. I don't usually gravitate towards non-fiction but I was intrigued when I read the jacket. At the time, I was taking Constitutional Law with a transgendered professor and had developed an interest in transexuality and transgendered rights (as an aside, my professor argued the first transgendered paternity suit in front of the CA Supreme Court!).

Anyway, I can't tell you how glad I am that I took a chance on this book!

The story is about Jennifer Finney Boylan's experience with transsexualism and how her struggle to embrace her true identity affects every aspect of her life and the people around her. Born a male (in a physical sense) and named "James," Jennifer recounts her journey towards becoming the woman she is today. Her story is often a painful one, particularly as Jennifer recounts the emotional turmoil that Grace (her wife) and her two children have had to endure as a result of Jennifer's decisions. However, Jennifer conveys her story with an incredible sense of humor and class and I often found myself reading her words and wanting to cry and laugh at the same time.

Jennifer's story does end in a complete surgical and hormonal transition so I would note that if you're looking for guidance on this subject, her very honest recounting of the experience may be helpful to you. I would like to say, however, that I did NOT get the sense that Jennifer believes that this type of transition is the answer for every transsexual but only that it was the right option for her.

Even if you've had no previous interest in gender studies or you don't think you have a reason to read this book, I implore you to consider doing so anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to note the considerable effect Jennifer's touching story had on me!


April 30, 2008

I read this book some time ago  
I was amazed how this book just took me into it. I read it very fast and before you knew it I was done. It is written in a very comfortable reading style. I have the other book that he has written so I will be interested to see if I feel the same about that one.
April 23, 2008

Refreshing and eye opening  
Boylan's memoir opens a dialog not only around transgendered issues, but for conversation about anyone who's ever felt isolated, like they didn't belong in their own skin. Recommend to just about anyone!
April 11, 2008


SIMILAR PRODUCTS

I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir
by Jennifer Finney Boylan

True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
by Mildred L. Brown, Chloe Ann Rounsley

She's Not the Man I Married: My Life with a Transgender Husband
by Helen Boyd

Wrapped In Blue: A Journey of Discovery
by Donna Rose

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity
by Julia Serano

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