First things first — Yes, this cover and title make you think this is going to be a social sciences kind of book. It's not. It's a memoir in essays — which is also fine, but I do wonder how everyone involved in this came to the decision to package it this way. The jacket copy makes the contents somewhat more clear, at least.

I was not previous familiar with Boylan, though apparently she's been out there doing her thing for years, under her current name and as the previous version of herself. She uses her deadname a lot in some of these essays, so trans people may feel a certain way about that. I am not trans, so I cannot speak to how trans people might like this book in general, but I will say this — She's a trans elder who came out later in life, and even if her journey and way of speaking about it is not necessarily the language younger people use today, it's still important to document the experiences of trans people at ALL stages of life.

Another interesting thing is the reveal that Boylan's adult daughter is also trans, and her daughter struggled a bit with having a memoirist parent during childhood. She says that she felt a certain pressure to conform to Boylan's narrative of "Look how happy and NORMAL we are," even if that's not what her parents intended. It's a touching moment, the two of them speaking as trans adults with different perspectives. And one can see that, yes, Boylan struggles throughout her essays, even still, to not feel shame for who she is. I imagine it's a hard feeling to shake once it takes root, even knowing that it's irrational.

Boylan's examinations of being on "both sides" of the gender spectrum aren't quite as fleshed out as the subtitle of the book suggests. She mainly thinks about the trans experience in terms of being a woman —which is fine, that's who she is— but if you were hoping for more insight on the varied ways one can know and express their gender, this isn't the book. Still, it's an interesting collection of essays, and I would guess that previous fans of her work will find something of value here.

(3.5)

I love the title and the cover. The author is entertaining and I enjoyed the book but it was kind of forgettable. I did appreciate that Jennifer has experienced a lot of joy in her life which could be uplifting for a trans reader. I would say this is a fine book and wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it but I don’t believe it’s a must read. 3.5 stars.

This book offers a straightforward look at personal identity, loss, and change. Boylan writes in a clear, heartfelt manner that drew me into her journey of coping with family loss, managing society’s expectations, and discovering her own voice. I especially liked how it was written from the viewpoint of having lived her life for a while and looking back.

What I Liked:
- The honest memories in the “Fathers” section that mix sadness with determination. Realization that not all her childhood was sad, there were plenty of fun and happy memories.
- The relatable discussion on food and body image, using everyday experiences like eating and swimming to reveal the pressures of conforming for women vs. men.
- The personal portrayal of finding an authentic voice and the challenges of adapting communication after transition.
- Boldly confronts negative societal viewpoints on transgender individuals by refuting common misconceptions and exposing the truths behind outdated stereotypes.
- The genuine depiction of relationships, where friendships and love both support and challenged her journey.

What Didn’t Quite Connect:
- The shifts between personal reflections and wider social commentary occasionally made the narrative seem uneven.
- A few memories, while rich in emotion, sometimes felt like either a tenous example of the point she was making or that they were included just to share some of her favorite memories.

Overall, Cleavage is a deeply moving memoir that challenges conventional narratives on gender and self-worth. I found that its honest insights and personal storytelling helped me reflect on what it truly means to belong.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Cleavage by Jennifer Finney Boylan!

Jennifer Finney Boylan is a gifted storyteller. Her book CLEAVAGE is a gift to us all, especially because it moves so far beyond "the trans narrative" of before I was/ now I am that is expected of memoirs by transgender writers. With Cleavage, Jennifer Finney Boylan takes us far beyond the expected and into what we can discover when we approach our lives with generosity and love. The way she discusses gender and how she was perceived at different times and how she looks back on that now is extremely moving and, at many times, hilarious. She also demonstrates such grace and acceptance of her past struggles; it's very inspiring. It also gives the author plenty of opportunities to show off her considerable skills at weaving multiple storylines/events/reflections into one chapter (or, really, essay) without losing any of the strands or confusing her readers. I plan to use the first chapter with the fireworks in one of up creative writing classes, perhaps in a pairing with one of Lidia Yuknavitch's braided essays. I also highly recommend it as a great memoir, period.

Jenny Finney Boylen, a self-proclaimed bookish, goofy (outwardly male) college professor, knew from an early age that she was a girl inside — a transgender path she did not follow until she reached her forties. Exactly how that journey unfolded, the changes encountered and the spaces left unfilled cannot help but make for fascinating reading.

Glimpses of this arise as the author describes catching up decades post-transition at her high school reunion.

“It was weird to be back in the big room after all these years with a martini and a vagina.”

Funny in places, heart-tugging in others, the author does not hold back, sharing her thoughts on her move to wholeness, and her leaning on what has held constant.

“The first half of my life was defined by yearnings: I wanted to be loved, and I wanted to be my actual self. I hoped that if the first came true, that the lack of the second would not hurt so much.”

Accompanied by the omnipresent love of her wife, Deedee, (both before and after transition), it’s hard for the reader not to feel slightly awed by the presence of this love at its most pure.

The author reflects on her womanhood as they raise their family of two, (Daddy becoming “Maddy”) — weight and newly experienced female body neurosis; the challenges of fitting in; voice insecurity; fear of violence; aging; shifting authority; love; and the losing/gaining of friends along the way.

“Who are we, now that we are old people, instead of young ones? Does love means something different to me — or to her — now that I am female?”

A fascinating blend of intimate memoir and remedial transgender education for those of us who need it, at the end of the day, this is an insightful, compassionate look at the foibles of personhood — and the ties that bind, rather than cleave us apart.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Jennifer Finney Boylan was an author known to be in name only, I had no idea what a rich life she lived. Relatable and humble, I found myself laughing out loud as well as being brokenhearted by her stories of what it means to be a woman, daughter, wife, and friend.

Okay, so I DNF’d at 41%. I really really wanted to enjoy this book but it was just so- boring, for lack of a better word. I wasn’t hooked enough to finish the book but I wish the author all the best.

Finished Reading

Pre-Read Notes:

I chose this one purely because of the photo on the cover. I had big boobs by the time I was 12, and I know the power of that withering look! I thought this would have some interesting things to say about life with breasts! *edit Too bad this book has nothing to do with the photo on the cover, or cleavage, for that matter.

Final Review

I was no good at any of it, no good at being a girl; on the other hand, I am not half bad at being a woman. —NORA EPHRON p5

Review and recommendations

I was honestly very surprised by the subjects covered in this book. I love memoirs of lbgtq+ people, but nothing about this book's title or cover suggests such a topic. And since those are the reasons I was compelled to read this one, I spent my entire read feeling unmoored. Also, I really don't like when authors name-drop. The fact Boylan was on Kaitlyn Jenner's show (as little more than a prop) doesn't place her in history, and it doesn't impress readers. Well, it doesn't impress me, at least. I think it's obnoxious. Also, I was really uncomfortable with how this author discusses weight and women's bodies. I don't think she *likes* her feminine figure. At least, it seems that way from these essays.

Besides that, this book is quite funny and clever. I recommend Cleavage to readers of memoir and lgbtq+ stories, as well as fans of coming of age and transformation stories.

Reading Notes

Favorite Essays:
1. "Fathers"
2. "Sons"
3. "Shadows"

A Few Words about the Essays:
1. "Both Sides Now" - Also the book's introduction, written by the author. It details the beginnings of her trans journey, all the way back to childhood.
2. "Fathers" - A touching piece about the author's unexpectedly tender relationship with her father.
3. "Food" - But I’d landed at the bottom of the chute in Girl-land to find myself a size 8, or perhaps a 10,... Eight what? you might ask. Or ten what? No one would tell me.... If you want a perfect example of exactly how fucked-up women are encouraged to be in this culture, may I present to you a snapshot of the idiotic and blissful expression upon my face the day I purchased that size 6 skirt. p23 So size 8 is "the bottom of Girl-land" huh? What Kind of fat-phobic, misogynistic, self-hating bullsh-t is this?
4. "Friends" - I’d worn a tight black dress for the occasion, fishnet stockings. All the way home, Lefty looked out the window at the shining Harvest Moon, humming softly to himself. Earlier, he’d had a knife sticking out of the side of his head. But he was okay now. p46
5. "Voice" - An excellent and surprising essay about...dummies?
6. "History" - n/a
7. "Lovers" - n/a
8. "The Unit" - Uhm...it's a story about the size of human penises.
9. "Sons" - A beautiful story about a girl and her dog, and so much more.
10. "Mothers" - Probably about what you'd expect.
11. "Shadows" - An essay about developing a woman's internal warning system.
12. "Rogues & Pixies" - It’s hard to think of many women who’ve been celebrated— loved, in fact—for their wicked, wicked ways. Mae West, maybe? Madonna? Catherine the Great? p158
13. "The Heisenberg Variations" An essay in twelve crots about being a trans creative.
14. "Liminality" - An essay about transition.
15. "Hearts & Brains" - An essay about how transitioning affects relationships.
16. "Daughters" - One day they are little blobs you hold against your breast. The next day they are driving away, leaving you forever. p209 Honestly, this essay was ruined for me by the repeated references to eating squid.
17. "Epilogue: Cleavage" - I agree with the author's friends who begged her not to call it this. It's such an ill-fitting title. Cleavage was only mentioned twice in the entire book. It's almost as ill-fitting as the cover. By the way, that photo on the cover and the women in it are only mentioned in passing, one time.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 /5
Recommend? yes
Finished: Feb 11 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
✏️ memoir
🌈 lgbtq+ stories
👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏾 coming of age

Thank you to the author Jennifer Finney Boylan, publishers Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an advance accessible digital copy of CLEAVAGE. All views are mine..
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I really enjoyed how the author parsed their stories together to tell not just her experience being trans. It was an interesting opportunity to witness parts of her life and see the connections she drew. I think she allowed readers to see more of her story and how she was impacted by others in her life.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

In her first memoir, She’s Not There(2003), Jennifer Finney Boylan takes us from childhood through the process of transitioning into a woman. And in the end, the reader is left with the same question that faces Jenny: What about her marriage?

In Cleavage, the author is in her 60s and looking back at her life, as a boy, man, husband, father, trans woman. The memories are so vivid and perfectly preserved in two genders. The disassociation of being a girl in a boy’s body somehow does not destroy or diminish those experiences, like attending an all-boys private high school, dating, marrying Deedee and having two children, living by the lake in Maine, and making bread. Boylan is surrounded by a supportive community and loving family and friends.

As a professor and public figure, there’s little sense of conflict, antagonism, or anti-trans sentiment. It made me wonder, was Boylan holding back negative moments? Or was this book’s intention a celebration of their life? But then, there’s this line that echoes through me, especially now: “I am practicing how not to get beaten within an inch of my life.”

Boylan writes about the societal pressures of being a woman, of being lesser than: the voice of uncertainty, the immature vocabulary, the salad instead of steak. It’s oddly disconcerting when she starts obsessing over weight. Boylan also covers trans conventions, voice lessons, passing as female, that in between space, and the privilege of being trans—the expensive surgeries and procedures available only to people above a certain tax bracket.

In the end, I felt like I was invited into Jenny’s world, though I also wanted to sit at the counter to watch the breadmaking and then bite into a slice.

Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC.

I always find it hard to rate nonfiction that is at least partially memoir based. Don't let this iconic photo deceive you, this book is about the author's experiences (and others she knows) with gender and as a trans woman. I do think that this is slightly mismarketed from the cover to the title - they are provocative in a way that doesn't match the contents of the book. Other early reviews indicate this mismatch and while I understand if you put the book down because it isn't what you anticipated, it is a shame.

She goes back and forth describing times from her childhood and uses her "deadname" so be prepared for that. I honestly think trans readers should take care as there's descriptions like that (going back in time, could be sensitive for readers) an descriptions of trans folks who have died by suicide. These are important stories and conversations, just take care when reading. Jennifer Finney Boylan is a talented writer, I just struggled with some of the essays and the style that things were written in. There are times she jumps back and forth through time, between stories and that isn't my favorite way to consume personal narratives. If you're interested in hearing from someone who is more of a trans elder in the space, this is a worthwhile read. Especially as trans folks are under attack (even though they've always been here) these stories and thoughts are important to read and share to build empathy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

Really well written memoir--so glad I got to read this! I enjoyed the writing and stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Jennifer Finney Boylan!

I was very misled on what this book is about based off of the cover. Without reading the synopsis (I know-totally my fault) I thought it was actually about the history of women and their bodies in Hollywood. I did not t realize that it was a memoir.

But the thing that really turned me off was all of the weight talk. If I’m being honest women have enough of an issue talking about and having our weight issues shoved down our throats. So to read a man’s perspective on how he never thought of it…not even once…why would he… but then began to perseverate on his weight and all of a sudden had issues and insecurities the second he tried to “become” a woman… it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thank you anyway to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the complimentary copy.

Rating memoirs is difficult to do. I think that because this was her second memoir and because I have not read the first, I was missing some important background. It's like delving into book two of the series. Sure there are helpful reminders supplied for important points, but I felt like I was missing a part of how we ended up here. So I guess what I'm saying is that I will read it?

I still enjoyed the memoir particularly because I think the whole point is exposure and to learn and grow. That happened. I did not like the nonlinear presentation. I felt click baited by the title and cover photo. Not sure it makes much sense particularly if you are a skimmer of epilogues.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this. I don’t rate memoirs, but I feel that Boylan is correct by stating “love will prevail”.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity to listen to an early copy of this book.
Excellent memoir!
I have read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all immensely.
I will shout it's praises from every outlet available to me. It's a book we all need to read, especially in today's troubled times.

Jennifer Finney Boylan bares her heart and soul in this memoir of her journey in the transgender realm. It is definitely eye opening and should be mandated for certain people who lack empathy and compassion for anyone who does not fit their preconceived notions of gender. Having seen first hand young second graders who clearly did not identify with their birth gender (and have since followed their hearts and become who they yearned to be) struggle with activities so many of us take for granted -using rest rooms, locker rooms, playground activities, I so appreciated Boylan’ s experiences and her unique perspectives.
At times I struggled to follow the storyline as a story seems to start which is then interrupted by a different story and even a third one. Eventually the storylines continued but I found the lack of immediate connections to be jarring at times. Mad Honey is one of my all time favorite books so I was flabbergasted to learn that Boylan was a co author but loved her story about how their relationship came about.
I am indebted to Jennifer Finney Boylan for increasing my knowledge base of the internal as well as the external hurdles so many face to feel at peace with themselves. I so wish the path was easier for all. Many many thanks to Jennifer Finney Boylan,
Celadon Books, and Net Galley for providing me with the opportunity to read an arc of this amazing four star read.

This is the first book I’ve read by Boylan and was drawn to the story from the tagline. I was very curious to get an insight of the space between men and women by a person who has walked in both shoes. And I will say that when those kinds of insights are in the chapters, I felt I was learning a lot about many things…things I didn’t realize how much I needed to know. But, I found the majority of the book to be personal “stories”. I’m not saying that they weren’t interesting, because I found Boylan to be a very talented writer. However, it wasn’t really what I was expecting, nor looking for from the book.

All in all, I liked the book and found it thought provoking. I’m not exactly sure what readers I would highly recommend it to. But I think if you give it a try, you will come away with knowledge that is worth pondering.

An absolutely incredible memoir from start to finish, Jenny Boylan is absolutely one of my new (to me) favorite authors and I will absolutely be going through her back catalog to read her other works after starting off with Cleavage. Throughout Cleavage, Jenny tells stories from her life pre- and post-transition and how the world was different when she presented as a man versus now as her true self. Her writing is just beautiful and immersive and her candor is eye-opening for anyone who has wondered about gender identity and what it means to transition.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book and what a ~time~ for this book to be released with the current administration rapidly stripping trans people of their rights. Please read this and recommend it to all your friends, too - the world is better off with Jenny and her writing in it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Celadon Books for the advanced copy.