Paperback, 320 pages
English language
Published Aug. 10, 2004 by Broadway.
The exuberant memoir of a man named James who became a woman named Jenny.
She’s Not There is the story of a person changing genders, the story of a person bearing and finally revealing a complex secret; above all, it is a love story.
By turns funny and deeply moving, Jennifer Finney Boylan explores the remarkable territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of family. She’s Not There is a portrait of a loving marriage—the love of James for his wife, Grace, and, against all odds, the enduring love of Grace for the woman who becomes her “sister,” Jenny.
A story of growing up transgender and in denial, this book is unremarkable in a good way. It's a coming of age story where the protagonist is married with children. This is the kind of book you should read if you're finally feeling up to the task of imagining yourself in the shoes of a transgender person. This is the story of trying to choose a lie for forty years and finally giving up.
