Detransition, Baby

A powerful sense of empathy and a devilish wit fuel Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, an exceptionally smart and funny first novel about a soapy love triangle, longlisted for the Women's Prize. Reese has always longed to be a mother but has yet to become one--because society tends to sneer at trans women, especially those who aspire to motherhood. In fact, it was largely social stigma that prompted Reese's ex-girlfriend to break up with her and detransition three years earlier. Ames had been Amy for about six years, taking hormone therapy that he thought had left him sterile. Until, that is, Ames's boss Katrina beckons him into her office to announce that the little affair they've been having has gotten her pregnant. Peters displays an inspiring knack for highlighting common ground, typically buried under heaps of identity politics, as she allows her characters opportunity to relax their grip on what has hardened them, and reach for a softer future. --Dave Wheeler, associate editor, Shelf Awareness

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