She's a Boy

Biographies and memoirs are some of my favourite books to read, more so when they are books like this one which allow you the privilege of reading into the private lives of interesting people such as Joe Holliday.

Joe was born with a number of health problems, but seemingly the most problematic was his ambiguous genitals. This lead to a life of uncertainty with his gender identity, challenges with medical professionals (thank God for Joe's mother doing her absolute utmost to fight for his rights), and bits of Joe's unwavering sense of humour and optimism throughout.

Although it's difficult to read at times with what Joe has had to endure to get to where he is now, it ends in a heart-warming way, with Joe finally sure of who he is and what he wants, facing the next chapter of his life with the support of loved ones. Thank you Joe for sharing your story!

This is a heartbreaking story of what can happen when the medical field runs amok. Granted what doctors were faced with was outside their ‘norm’ but at some point you have to wonder where did medicine stop and experimenting began. The book is written as the author is sitting down in front of you and recanting his life’s story over a pint.

The first couple of chapters are about his parents and their life leading up to his birth so you get a decent idea of the world he was coming into which might explain some of the parenting decision being made whether or not you’d do the same.

After his birth the story gets detailed about what was going on physically with him as a baby, the surgeries, the outcomes and so forth so if you have a weak stomach beware because it gets gritty. As he begins to describe what his parents endured, the fear of doing the wrong thing and the difficulties they faced trying to keep him alive, you can’t help but feel teary eyed and hurt on their behalf.
When a doctor tells them they should raise him as a girl and makes it sound so simple you can’t help but want to slap the man.

One of my biggest gripes is when they talk about how a chromosome test was done over a decade later at which time he finally found out he was born male from that test and all the other documentation in his file; some of which essentially admitted the only reason they altered his gender was because it was easier on the establishment. Joe is a better person than me because just reading his story makes me detest everyone involved but he seems to have found a measure of forgiveness and peace.

The premise of this autobiography is indeed shocking enough to garner one's interest. An innocent baby is born in England back in the 80s without genitals. There is evidence that the child is in fact a boy, but the medical personnel strongly suggest that the child be raised as a girl. There are other horrific details involving the exposed condition of the baby's abdominal area, but I'll leave that for the reader's consumption. The immediate post birth recounting is the most riveting in the book. How the family deals with such an incredibly difficult situation is both stressful and very inspiring to read. This is a lovely family to read about overall, aside from the whole main subject of Joel/Joella. How Joe Holliday's family came to be, with their simple working class background, spearheaded by a "Nan" with a heart of gold, was a very special read.

There are no photos in the book, which was a surprise. Without knowing this, I was so curious of Joe Holliday's well-documented story in the news that I reviewed many such photos on the internet. I had never heard of Joe's story, but one of the larger themes in the book was the media's interest in Joe's plight. His mum had turned to the media in frustration while fighting to get the sex changed officially on his birth certificate. Even Princess Diana had written to the family in support. While this must have been a big story in England during that time, I never once heard of this story and I have been an avid reader all my life. So, as I consumed the book I would look up related articles and photos on the internet. So, I don't feel deprived that photos weren't included in this book, but perhaps if I had a physical book instead of the kindle version, I might have felt shortchanged.

However, this was a very thought-provoking, emotional and inspiring story about a person born with huge problems, how he and his family handled them, and his ultimate decision on how he would live the rest of his life. I love reading real-life stories about remarkable people, and this was one of them.

Interesting and kind of difficultly sad read. It's hard to imagine going through all this.

Joel has had such an rough life and yet his book has a positive feel. He was born with a condition that caused the doctors to suggest to his mother that he be raised a girl. This is the story of how he was raised as a girl and made his way back to being man. I enjoyed all the details of the story but was glad that it did not seem sensationalized. Good read!

I do enjoy reading a variety of genres and wished i had read this book much sooner. So much better than i had thought! So pleased that Joel is now much happier.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.