Written by: Wilma Swartz
First line: What happened to me I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
Why you should read this book: Born intersex and assigned male at birth, Wilma grew up in in a maelstrom of trauma from every direction: at home, at school, and at work, people sensed something off in her performance of masculinity and punished her relentlessly, in a time when gay people had little standing in society and trans people had no rights whatsoever. Despite doing her best to maintain a heteronormative facade, her marriage fails and subsequently she loses all rights to visitation with her son when she realizes that gender reassignment surgery is her only hope of ever living happily and authentically. Although she finds love and success as a woman, the heartbreak and scars of the past and her resonant anger still mar her memories, which she recalls in often excruciating detail, bringing her pain to light and providing a window to a little-known chapter of history.
Why you shouldn't read this book: It's badly edited, often disjointed or vague, and includes some commentary that might be upsetting to secular and gender nonconforming readers, as well as graphic, sometimes violent depictions of homophobia and transphobia.
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