Finally. A book that treats the issue of transgenderism with sensitivity and the 'reality-check' it deserves. It doesn't pull its punches, neither does it go over the top with details about sexual reassignment surgery.
Chris / Emily is a wonderfully normal character. What I mean by that is, there's no mystery in my view when she says 'I am a woman'...because her eyes, she always has been female.
Imagine one day you support Manchester United, but as you grow into your teens, you are told that there is in fact only one possible football team for you, and it's some team in the Blue Square North Premiership.
No-one seems to believe that Chris is capable of making this journey from the 'male' everyone sees to the 'female' he only ever sees.
Through his best friend Claire, the amazing (t) girl Natalie, plus Dr Mendel...the way is made far easier. But Chris' parents are far from understanding, and whilst I appreciate that - there is no way my children would be forced into column A or B. Their life, their choice.
No-one should be under any illusion that Chris' life choices are the easy ones. They are not. So often the book talks of 'the fight' to be had regarding make-up, or certain clothes. The fight to prove to the rather sleazy Dr Webber that wearing women's clothes or wanting to be a woman, when you are genetically / physically male, that it is not about fetishism, or masturbation.
It is just simply, the right to 'be', and hasn't every single individual on this Earth the right to 'be'?
There's a major Christian angle to this, with Claire researching lines in the Bible to help Chris. And it is not about the line in Dueteronomy, which is refreshing. Because most, if not all transgdendered people who went to a Catholic school would have had that rammed down their throat at some point. The same Bible that says 'if a man hits you on the cheek, offer him the other side, and your coat too' (while you're at it).
It is God's design - man, woman, cat, dog, transexual, aardvark! It is our choice what we want to 'be'. I cite the choice of football club you can support - the groupies say 'support your local club otherwise you are scum' - they never think that you could actually choose for yourself.
Who wants to follow the sheep? Chris doesn't. He just doesn't fit in with the typical boy stuff because he identifies - very strongly, as a girl.
This Book does not judge Chris or criticise him for his choices. What it manages to do, I think, is create a world where fights are to be had at every stage, but Chris faces them nonetheless.
Being Emily is an astonishingly easy to read but extremely compelling. I wanted to know what would happen, even though I guessed. It's not easy to accept who you are, but being told who you are, who you are supposed to be, and what you are supposed to do, is not fair. If this life is but one go around, we have to make the right choices for ourselves.
Even if you are not interested in the subject matter...you would enjoy this book. It's not so much about Chris becoming a woman, because he, indeed - she, already is one. It's more about fitting in to the world around him, and making it work, no matter what. From my list of species above, you can bet that the aardvark will do exactly the same.
I bought the paperback version, not Kindle. The pb version is a little pricey, but given how much I know goes into writing a book, it is a small quibble. I hope it goes on to sell many more copies.
Bravo to Rachel Gold. One of my top ten books of 2013.
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