This memoir is a phenomenal exploration of how multi-faceted a person's identity is and how long it can take to finally understand the various parts that define who you are.

I picked this up because I wanted to read more stories by trans authors, especially when they are telling their own narratives. Meredith Talusan writes of her experiences in a interesting way, but it does seem like she is a bit standoffish when talking about the negative events in her life, as opposed to the warmth that seems to emanate in the retellings of more enjoyable times. I am glad she chose to tell her story. Even though this is the first time I have come across her work, I believe she has many more stories to tell, whether they’re already written or not.

This is a phenomenally written memoir that consistently respects all aspects of the author's life. Absolutely recommend for anyone.

What an incredible life Meredith Talusan has led. I had the honor of interviewing her for the Feminist Book Club podcast and she is hands-down one of the most generous and enjoyable people to share in conversation. Fairest demonstrates how race and gender are illusions and are full of grey areas. I really appreciated how Talusan didn't shy away from the murkiness of all of it. There is no such thing as black and white in race, gender, sexuality, or any identity markers. It's complicated, nuanced, and deeply personal. I am so honored that Talusan gave us a peek into her life.

In this memoir, Talusan, an albino trans Filipino-American, doesn’t just set forth on a story of being trans or an immigrant. “I was an outcast among outcasts.” From her childhood as a boy in the Philippines to her life as a gay Harvard student to becoming gender binary and then a trans woman, she has a lot to say about determining your self-identity. I felt editing could helped, the writing seemed weak at times for the amazing story she was telling. At times, the story was tedious, but she has so much of value to say.

An engrossing coming-out memoir. Born male in Asia, Marc's family wants him to go to America and be successful. He leaves home and gets into Harvard, where he comes out as gay and has a series of short affairs. Feeling more and more feminine, he begins dressing in female attire, with hair and makeup done very precisely. He is often mistaken for a beautiful woman, and passing as a beautiful woman becomes important to him.

He meets and commits to a partner, who is not in love with his transitioning identity. Their evolving relationship and Marc's gradual transition to Meredith encompasses the crux of the book. Written well and with depth and emotion.

Excellent and fascinating coming of age memoir that will challenge your understanding of family and what it means to love.

I'm sorry, I couldn't finish. I made it about 25% into this book, but the writing was too choppy for me to continue and Meredith's childhood could have been way shortened. I was so excited to get into this story, but after getting totally stalled out for a few days, I've decided it's just not for me.
(I do not publicly share reviews for books I abandoned though, so this doesn't affect overall star ratings)

Fairest is the coming-of-age memoir of Meredith Talusan, an award-winning journalist and author, and founding executive editor of them., Condé Nast’s LGBTQ online magazine. Meredith was born with albinism and grew up as a boy in rural Philippines. This is her memoir of her life's journey to living her truth.

By any measure, author Meredith (born Marc) Talusan has led a remarkable life. Born with albinism, Marc faced prejudice and neglect in his native Philippines, until as a pre-teen his pale skin, hair, and eyes led him to be cast in a popular sitcom. Always smarter than his peers, he was eventually accepted at Harvard. There he came out as a gay man and had many sexual adventures. But through his experimentation with cross-dressing, he found that he’d really rather be a woman, a state he associated with empathy, beauty, and masculine protection. So Marc transitioned into being Meredith. Today, Meredith does not disown her prior experiences as a gay male or say that she was innately female all along; that’s why in this review I use “"Marc" and "he” to refer to her in her pre-transition life.

<em>Fairest</em> is an interesting book from a unique perspective. I liked it best when the author described his difficult childhood in the Philippines and his brush with TV stardom. However, I found adult Marc/Meredith rather vain and self-absorbed. Still, I recommend this book to those who want to read a transition story that transcends cliché.

I received an electronic pre-publication copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.