Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 9/12/2021 + 1178 more book reviews

This novel was a real eye-opener for me. It tells the story of a man, Dana, who is a professor at a New England university and who is also transgender. He is dating a divorced woman named Allison who is a school teacher at a local elementary school. Allison has a daughter named Carly who is getting ready for college and who is happy that her mother seems to have found love again with Dana. But before long Dana is set for his transitioning surgery and Allison is there to help him through the process including helping him to dress and act in his new role as a woman. Dana ends up moving in with Allison which results in outrage in the community who feel Allison is setting a bad example for the children she teaches. This is all told from the perspective of Dana, Allison, Carly, and Allison's ex-husband, Will.

As I said, this was really an eye-opener. At some points, it was very explicit in telling specifically how the transitioning surgery is performed and how a man is surgically and hormonally changed into a woman. It also is very clear on why both men and women take this drastic step...being trapped in the wrong gender since birth. Overall, I found this novel to be very enlightening and it left me with a lot to ponder and think about. This is the third novel I've read by Bohjalian and all of them have been very thought-provoking. I'll be reading more of him.

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