Thankfully, Beam resists the urge to preach, and allows her subjects' stories to speak for themselves. She does occasionally digress into related subjects, such as the medical options available to young transgendered persons, and why there are so many more male-to-female transsexuals compared to the other way around. (A viable prostitution market for "MTFs" is no small factor here.)
Some readers will be uncomfortable with Transparent's subject matter, whether because of the issue of transsexuality itself, or because of the young age of those involved. Even I would have some serious questions and concerns about allowing a young teen or pre-teen like "Kim" to commence such treatment. But you can be sure this issue will become more prominent as time goes on, and Transparent is an interesting introduction to a controversial subject - and, more importantly, a compelling look at some difficult, unusual human stories.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
2 - Belle
Interesting review. I'm adding this book to my reading list, thanks.