A Proper Young Lady

By: Lianne Simon

Narrated by: Katie Hart

A woman with the complete form of androgen insensitivity syndrome might never discover that she has testes in her abdomen rather than ovaries and uterus. Danièle knows, and she grieves that she can never have her own children. She has a partial form of AIS that left her with ambiguous genitals, a steady stream of doctors and psychologists, and parents determined to see her happy as a girl.

After Danièle’s best friend and childhood crush agrees to act as a surrogate for her, Danièle learns that the clinic can extract sperm from her own gonadal biopsies, so she becomes the biological father of Melanie’s baby herself.

Ethan adores the graceful young woman named Danièle, while Melanie imagines a life with the father of her children. Danièle? She’s happy with her intersex body - somewhere between princess and little boy. But in a black-and-white world, she must choose - once and for all - who she will be and whom she will love.

©2015 Lianne Simon (P)2021 Lianne Simon