"In 2018, I didn’t merely come out MtF transgender, I discovered I was trans in the first place—as much news to me as it became to the world. On December 31, 2017, to quote the movie, Hot Fuzz, I had 'a great big bushy beard.' A year later, I was growing breasts! Yes, real breasts, as I hit my true puberty."
What's it like to be a trans woman? Even crazier, what's it like to NOT KNOW you're trans for your first 50+ years?
It's a rollercoaster of joy, heartbreaking sadness, difficult trials and transformations, and tons of comic relief—like any life … but with the twist of coming of age in a world that still seems not ready for trans folk to hit prime time.
Bethany's memoir of how she and her marriage have survived and THRIVE is what it means to be human
This memoir is raw and funny and poignant and illuminating and full of grace.
I loved this memoir for many reasons. It was real and raw. No holds barred, the story of a really difficult discovery and transition and the havoc it created on the way to the grace of a life lived in truth instead of behind the veil of confusion. I imagine that when Bethany found out she was Bethany, it was like the first time I put on my glasses - I could see every pine needle and blade of grass, and it was all so beautiful! I think she hints at this new "vision" and the inspiration it brings a few times in her book. I feel like this approach to blossoming could be applied, with a little license, to many types of painful and punishing changes that people go through - even us cishet folks.... Be brave, tell the truth, and do what you need to do.Besides the inspiration value of Bethany's memoir, I also enjoyed her writing style. It was super-accessible, and varied in format (I loved the flashbacks, the photographs, and the selections from private journals, documents, and Facebook posts, as well as the traditional memoir-y narrative parts). Buy this book and take it to heart! You won't be sorry.
Absolutely STUNNING!
"How to Not Know You're Trans" is a deeply emotional story full of confusion, pain, joy, and growth. In a world with a small, yet growing, representation of trans and non-binary people, this book helps readers everywhere on the gender binary understand themselves and others in a deeper and more compassionate way.
A Breath of Fresh Air!
I throughly enjoyed Bethany Beeler’s memoir - it is full of raw honestly and personal insightfulness that is genuinely hard to find. There is so much pressure (both on public figures and in our own lives) to have our stories follow a linear path, to be able to look back on our pasts and find exact events and instances which shaped us into who we are. Beeler’s story into finding who she is follows a winding path that never has a firm beginning and will never have an ending. She gave herself the gift to look at her life not like chapters in a book that ends, but like a long road which is constantly evolving, and which she can look back on and look forward to with no judgment or shame. It’s beautiful and full of grace to herself and others. It has no pressure to name the “big moments”, or follow a time line and a strict cause and effect. Her willingness to share her story is refreshing as it is revolutionary - a highly recommended read.
