And She Was

By: Jessica Verdi

Narrated by: Chloe Cannon

Dara's lived a sheltered life with her single mom, Mellie. Now, at 18, she's dreaming of more. When Dara digs up her never-before-seen birth certificate, her world implodes. Why are two strangers listed as her parents?

Dara confronts her mother, and is stunned by what she learns: Mellie is transgender. The unfamiliar name listed under "father"? That's Mellie. She transitioned when Dara was a baby, after Dara's birth mother died. She changed her name, started over.

But Dara still has more questions than answers. Reeling, she sets off on an impromptu road trip with her best guy friend, Sam, in tow. She is determined to find the extended family she's never even met. What she does discover - and what her mother reveals, piece by piece, over emails - will challenge and change Dara more than she can imagine.

This is a gorgeous, timely, and essential novel about the importance of being our true selves.

©2018 Jessica Verdi (P)2020 Tantor

Great book

I really enjoyed this, but I think it was well written, and it made me feel like I was there watching I was there with them

Good story

This work of fiction is so well written and narrated that u truly feel and care about the main characters. I drew a lot of from this story that resonates within my own life experiences. I would definitely recommend this book.

Loved It Nontheless

The story arc was rather predicable, but the characters were so well-drawn and voiced that it drew me into their lives. As a trans woman, I lost a little patience with the main character, Dara. However, upon reflection, I did find it an accurate and believable portrayal of a girl in her late teens confronted by the the truths hidden from her throughout her life.

It was in the emails of her mother, Mellie, that the book achieved it's greatest appeal and its poignancy. The author did a convincing job of revealing the life of a transgender woman. It brought up memories from my own childhood, particularly the scene where her mother catches her tucking her male genitals between her legs to see what she looked like without them.

The denouement was quite fulfilling. The story definitely held my attention, considering I finished listening to it in three days. Overall, it was a touching and satisfying book. Like all successful literature, I knew myself a little better by the end.