---
product_id: 221252
title: "She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders"
price: "3289 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/221252-shes-not-there-a-life-in-two-genders
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders

**Price:** 3289 kr
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## Description

desertcart.com: She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders: 9780385346979: Boylan, Jennifer Finney: Books

Review: Light Touch, Heavy Topic - She's Not There is one of the best transgender biography titles written to-date. It will appeal somewhat differently to the transgender and non-transgender populations because the latter will take Jenny's treatment as somewhat light in tone, while the transgender population will read and recognize considerably more of the realities behind her account. Jenny Boylan is a remarkably able storyteller. She weaves circumstances over time together in deft fashion. A story, a comment, a thought, a seemingly minor theme described at one point in her life and story becomes a point later on, a pattern repeated again and again. This is life with meaning, described as a whole. Most people feel this way about their lives. Few can describe connectedness in such evocative fashion. The topic - gender identity at the level of transsexuality - is life and death. That applies to Jenny and it applies to Grace, James/Jenny's wife, whose personal transition is also described. Jenny lays life itself on the line as she comes to terms with living an authentic life. If the tone sometimes appears light, one should appreciate that by the time a transgendered person moves toward transition, much of the emotional crisis has already passed, even if the circumstances of life are put at risk. Jenny describes this well - and also well-describes, through Grace's own transition crisis, how that same point is just the beginning for a spouse. The second half of the book is taken with transition, including hormones, surgery, and social transition to female presentation and full-time living. Grace's perspectives weigh in here, as do those of close friends, particularly Richard Russo. Russo's letters to Jenny are incredibly personal, revealing, and direct and could easily serve as required reading for anyone interested in how interpersonal dynamics are challenged and change with transsexual transition in the picture. Russo also provided the afterword, and it's a brilliant piece of writing, worthy as a standalone piece. Great writing, great story. Real. And readable! Absolutely 5 stars.
Review: One of the luckier transitions - The book is well written and you can tell Jenny knows how to write a book. It is a good read and a touching story and you feel glad that she got to become herself. Being TG myself I would have liked to see a more realistic telling of the trials and tribulations one must go through during transition. The way Jenny tells her story is a bit too "kumbaja" for my liking. If that's how it really was for her, that's wonderful, but I somehow doubt it was all roses.. All in all, I recommend this book for anyone interested in transgender issues and the how's and why's of transitioning. If you are TG yourself anf thinking about transitioning, remember, Jenny was in a pretty good position in terms of her job situation (Academia tends to be more accepting than macho-land)and she had a supportive spouse and friends. She herself hints at those of us who are less blessed (one commits suicide, the other almost dies from SRS complications). So keep it in perspective. Callie

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #130,258 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #41 in LGBTQ+ Biographies (Books) #904 in Sociology Reference #1,748 in Memoirs (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,597) |
| Dimensions  | 5.19 x 0.7 x 7.99 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0385346972 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0385346979 |
| Item Weight  | 9.6 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 352 pages |
| Publication date  | April 30, 2013 |
| Publisher  | Crown |

## Images

![She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71LgPAn2sLL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Light Touch, Heavy Topic
*by N***E on February 12, 2012*

She's Not There is one of the best transgender biography titles written to-date. It will appeal somewhat differently to the transgender and non-transgender populations because the latter will take Jenny's treatment as somewhat light in tone, while the transgender population will read and recognize considerably more of the realities behind her account. Jenny Boylan is a remarkably able storyteller. She weaves circumstances over time together in deft fashion. A story, a comment, a thought, a seemingly minor theme described at one point in her life and story becomes a point later on, a pattern repeated again and again. This is life with meaning, described as a whole. Most people feel this way about their lives. Few can describe connectedness in such evocative fashion. The topic - gender identity at the level of transsexuality - is life and death. That applies to Jenny and it applies to Grace, James/Jenny's wife, whose personal transition is also described. Jenny lays life itself on the line as she comes to terms with living an authentic life. If the tone sometimes appears light, one should appreciate that by the time a transgendered person moves toward transition, much of the emotional crisis has already passed, even if the circumstances of life are put at risk. Jenny describes this well - and also well-describes, through Grace's own transition crisis, how that same point is just the beginning for a spouse. The second half of the book is taken with transition, including hormones, surgery, and social transition to female presentation and full-time living. Grace's perspectives weigh in here, as do those of close friends, particularly Richard Russo. Russo's letters to Jenny are incredibly personal, revealing, and direct and could easily serve as required reading for anyone interested in how interpersonal dynamics are challenged and change with transsexual transition in the picture. Russo also provided the afterword, and it's a brilliant piece of writing, worthy as a standalone piece. Great writing, great story. Real. And readable! Absolutely 5 stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the luckier transitions
*by K***R on April 14, 2011*

The book is well written and you can tell Jenny knows how to write a book. It is a good read and a touching story and you feel glad that she got to become herself. Being TG myself I would have liked to see a more realistic telling of the trials and tribulations one must go through during transition. The way Jenny tells her story is a bit too "kumbaja" for my liking. If that's how it really was for her, that's wonderful, but I somehow doubt it was all roses.. All in all, I recommend this book for anyone interested in transgender issues and the how's and why's of transitioning. If you are TG yourself anf thinking about transitioning, remember, Jenny was in a pretty good position in terms of her job situation (Academia tends to be more accepting than macho-land)and she had a supportive spouse and friends. She herself hints at those of us who are less blessed (one commits suicide, the other almost dies from SRS complications). So keep it in perspective. Callie

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not what I expected
*by A***S on January 8, 2008*

I didn't read much about this book before I ordered it and hoped it would be more about the genderqueer side of the spectrum. It certainly wasn't. But - it was more fulfilling than I could have hoped for. Her style isn't quite linear, certain phrases referencing something prior come up unexpectedly, but they fit. You root for her all the way, understand her internal conflict, sympathize with Grace, are surprised at how well her children just went with the flow. She makes the point that gender isn't as black and white as we see it, as we're told it is. Perhaps that's surprising to most people, maybe not. I enjoy that as a transsexual, she says this, as she's trying to go one from end of the spectrum to the other. This books makes is haunting, which is perhaps appropriate because her latest book is entitled I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir ... it stays with you. You feel so much of her even though it isn't written with as much emotional detail as say a diary would. It feels like a piece of art, how she put it together, the things she remembered, the things she probably had to embellish a bit, what she chose to omit (we can only imagine), what she chose to say, exactly how she chose to say it. I would recommend this book to anyone - whether they've ever struggled with gender or not. It's a story not often told, even less frequently understood. Jenny Boylan should be commended for having the courage to share this part of her with the world - and so honestly.

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-01-23*