Faking It (ePub)

I'm not entirely sure where to start. Kyle Mewburn is quite a fascinating person. Her journey from Queensland suburbia to the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand by way of... well, the world is a captivating read equal parts sad and hopeful. Biographies can be a mixed bag at the best of times, but occasionally you come across one that is so unabashedly honest and raw that you feel like you've been granted access to someone's soul and it has the power to touch you more deeply than you expect. In Faking it: My Life In Transition, Kyle doesn't cover anything up... there are moments where she states quite matter of factly that she behaved in an unpleasant way, there's no hiding the downs to suggest that she was always in the right or that things were easy... quite the opposite. I should say that if you feel like you yourself may be the opposite gender to what your outward appearance suggests, if you know someone who is trans and want to have a better understanding of what they go through or if you are just curious about what it means to be trans then this really is a great book! I think in many ways this would be a good book to have in the school curriculum because it certainly doesn't suggest that gender affirmation surgery or being trans is easy... but it does show it is an option and (as you will learn by reading Faking It) that can make a huge difference in someone's life. The old adage that if even just one person is saved/helped etc by reading this book is actually quite apt here. Though there is far more visibility around trans issues now than even just a few years ago... the easier it is for people to access information and personal stories of trans experiences, the easier it will be for people who feel it may relate to them on a very personal level to not feel the need to "fake it". A very moving and worthwhile read.