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Men, Women, and the Space Between Us
What is the difference between men and women? Jennifer Finney Boylan, bestselling author of She's Not There and co-author of Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult, examines the divisions―as well as the common ground―between the genders, and reflects on her own experiences, both difficult and joyful, as a transgender American.
Jennifer Finney Boylan's She's Not There was the first bestselling work written by a transgender American. Since its publication twenty years ago, she has become the go-to person for insight into the impact of gender on our lives, from the food we eat to the dreams we dream, both for ourselves and for our children. But Cleavage is more than a deep dive into gender identity; it's also a look at the difference between coming out as trans in 2000―when many people reacted to Boylan's transition with love―and the present era of blowback and fear.
How does gender affect our sense of self? Our body image? The passage of time? The friends we lose―and keep? Boylan considers her womanhood, reflects on the boys and men who shaped her, and reconceives of herself as a writer, activist, parent, and spouse. With heart-wrenching honesty, she illustrates the feeling of liminality that followed her to adulthood, but demonstrates the redemptive power of love through it all.
With Boylan's trademark humor and poignancy, Cleavage is a sharp, witty, and captivating look at the triumphs and losses of a life lived in two genders. Cleavage provides hope for a future in which we all have the freedom to live joyfully as men, as women, and in the space between us.
"Boylan is an accomplished and playful writer, adept at handling serious subjects with a light but poignant touch… Readers will be equal parts entertained and edified." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[T]his luminous memoir-in-stories… is always erudite, enlightening, and thought-provoking. Love is never far from her consciousness. She concludes that with a little luck, love might prevail, and readers will hope so, too." ―Booklist (starred review)
"An exploration of gender that effectively balances pathos and humor." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Jenny's honest, intense lived experience gives us a compassionate prism through which to see this changing world." ―Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Boylan writes with great humor, wisdom, and warmth about what it means to be human―at different ages, and in different genders―in this confounding world. Compulsively readable and often outright hilarious, this book is a treasure." ―Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers and I Have Some Questions for You
"For those who have never felt at home at home―and that's a lot of us these days―Jenny Finney Boylan's story is a story of faith, hope, and, above all, love." ―Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street
This information about Cleavage was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
© 2007 James Bowdoin
Jennifer Finney Boylan is Professor of English at Colby College in Maine and the author of the bestseller She’s Not There, as well as the acclaimed novels The Planets and Getting In. In addition to her novels, Boylan has penned a collection of short stories, three memoirs, and six young adult books, four of them written under a pseudonym. A three-time guest of The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has also appeared on Larry King Live, Today, NPR's Marketplace, and 48 Hours, and has played herself on ABC’s All My Children. Boylan has spoken widely about gender, diversity and imagination at conferences, colleges, law firms, and bookstores across the country. Her most recent book is the novel Long Black Veil, published by Penguin Random House in April 2017. Two other current projects are ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Jennifer Finney Boylan's Website
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