Dara's lived a sheltered life with her single mom, Mellie. Now, at eighteen, 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. The back matter includes an author's note and resources for readers.
"Dara is the main character, but Mellie is the book’s heart, and she’s incredible: a complicated, soulful, talented, and loving transwoman whose emails could be their own book. Verdi’s respect and care are evident in every character in the book, no matter how brief their appearance, especially boy-next-door Sam and Dara’s wealthy, ultraconservative grandparents, who, although they do some terrible things, aren’t written off as evil. Verdi’s book is a triumph — an exquisite mirror in which trans parents and their children will see themselves. And for once, the reflection won’t break their hearts." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 14 and up |
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Author | Jessica Verdi |
ISBN | 1338150537 |
Publication Date | Mar 27, 2018 |
Publisher | Scholastic Press |
Language | English |