It's not often that I pick a book up and instantly feel part of it, drawing on the words on the page and eagerly wanting more. But this book had me hooked from the very first page.
Autobiographies of Transsexuals tend to end up in a standard kind of way, you see the struggles, you see the need to conform and see an individual that seemingly breaks the shackles of a previous part of life, and throws them away. I often feel sad about this, for example Roberta Cowell felt the overwhelming need to stop liking motor cars because she lost an interest in them. It has always comes across to me it seemed she felt it was the right thing to do, and so the need to conform made her shun things she liked rather than embrace her inner self. Happily she allowed her liking to come back but in many other books I have seen people throw a whole chapter of their life away, as though it never belonged to the. With Dru in "Becoming Drusilla" you get to see a more familiar viewpoint, that it isn't a sin to still like things you always have, that many transsexuals keep an element of femininity and Masculinity of their previous part of life with them, something no different to any other man or woman.
Dru still likes the things she did before, she likes to canoe, to fix motor cars, to go hiking, to work on ships in engine rooms, and drink pints of Beer, all considered manly things to do. For the average person even in our more liberal way of life in the western world this still looks very wrong in the sense of conforming, there is still a perceived way of being who you should be. When someone transitions it is not just difficult for that person, but for friends, partners and families.
When Dru told Richard, a long time friend what she intended to do Richard experiences what many other friends do, thoughts of how?, why?, when?, where?, and the need to know more. for many transsexual people some friends have immense difficulty understanding, or accepting at all, with this book many of those taboo's are covered with Richard writing the biography from his viewpoint, his need to understand more and his need to question himself too in how he feels about what Dru has done. Set around a walk in Wales and sharing a tent, something both of them previously did together before Dru undergoes her change including surgery this book explores Dru's life, how things have changed and how Richard sees things from the perspective of a friend, something that is rarely seen.
The book is full of amusing moments and anecdotes, which had me smiling, nodding with familiarity and laughing in places, but more than that it is a truthful and honest account from a friend who by sharing his own fears and anxieties has gained more knowledge, understanding and acceptance of his friend, and made his and Dru's friendship even stronger.
An inspirational, fun and well written piece of writing on many levels, I thoroughly recommend this book, especially for those who are friends of someone undergoing change or have changed such as Drusilla.
Reviewed by Denise |
