2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Like a few other reviewers, I was drawn to this memoir because the author had collaborated on Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult. Jennifer Finney Boylan first came to people's attention in 2003 with her first memoir, She's Not There, Cleavage is her fifth memoir-in-essays. There are topics on gender identity, parenthood, and the transgender experience. The essays that focus on Jennifer's marriage to her wife and their children were poignant and among my favourites. But there were other times in the book that I was bored. However, the author writes with a very friendly candour and that I appreciated.




Publication Date 04/02/25
Goodreads Review published 05/02/25
#Cleavage #NetGalley.

Happy Pub Day!!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for this ARC.

While I enjoyed this book, it was not quite what I was expecting based on the title. I was excepting a memoir comparing the male/female experiences, and it was not really set up that way. Each chapter had its topic and then there were a variety of stories within said topic. I would have preferred a more linear storytelling personally, though many stories I found to be deeply moving. Additionally, a lot of stories were centered around people other than the author which was not a bad thing per se, just wasn't expected. I enjoyed this author's POV especially about parenthood and relationships and would read more from this author.

I now know more about this body part than I ever did before, if you want to understand the power of cleavage, I encourage you to check this book out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan, and Macmillan audio for the ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed hearing about Boylan’s life and overall story. I had been unfamiliar with her work until I read this book and later discovered she had co-authored Mad Honey! I will say I wish I read her first memoir before this book as it is frequently referenced and seems to be a really interesting companion piece as she often talks about changes in her life, growth, etc. since that memoir.

One of the most poignant aspects of this book is the unfolding of her daughter coming out to Jennifer as trans. She is real, honest, and vulnerable in the telling of that journey and the realities of her daughter’s transition for her family/relationship to her.

Sometimes I have mixed feelings about non-linear memoir storytelling but really loved the way Boylan structured her storytelling here. The non-linear storytelling was often helpful to understand how had felt about her gender identity, etc. over the years.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book!

Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan, a myriad of thought-provoking questions are explored. The book delves into the impact of gender on our body image, relationships, and overall sense of self. Boylan also reflects on her personal evolution as a writer, activist, spouse, and parent in today's society, highlighting the enduring influence of love.

I went into Cleavage totally blind – my decision to request it on Net Galley was based solely on a combination of the cover, and the title. I didn’t read the synopsis. I honestly assumed it was going to be a scholarly exploration of gender norms. Fair warning, in case you skipped past the synopsis – it is very much not that.

Cleavage may not have been at all what I was expecting (yes, I know, that’s 100% on me), but I was absolutely not disappointed with what it ended up actually being – a funny, moving, and extremely engaging memoir of Jenny Boylan’s life so far. And perhaps most importantly (especially since this isn’t Boylan’s first memoir), Cleavage explores how coming out as trans now is markedly different than it was 25 years ago when she came out.

By her own account, Jenny’s coming out went about as well as anyone could have asked for. Although there were challenges, they weren’t the type that involve rifts in relationships or other worst-case-scenario outcomes. And I think it is always good to read about stories like that. Yes, it is important to highlight the many challenges that trans people face every day (especially here in America where we are regressing on most social- and human rights-based issues at light-speed). But it is also important to highlight how beautiful life can be, and how sometimes we find ourselves in the presence of people who actually embody things like grace and acceptance. And that those people aren’t always the ones we might have expected to see it from.

I guess what I’m saying is that Cleavage provides a look at the nuance and complexity of people that its easy to lose sight of during times like we’re currently living in (in the USA, at least). While I think Cleavage was an important work as it was being written, I think that in light of current events and the current US political climate, Jenny Boylan’s work has become vital. MORE TRANS JOY, PLEASE. Because I’m afraid that joy for a lot of marginalized groups might in short supply for the foreseeable future.

Please note, this review goes live on my site on February 5, 2025 at 7 AM CST.

I really enjoyed this memoir. The structure Boylan used to discuss the differences between men and women worked well.

I picked up this book not knowing who Jenny Boylan was, but thinking that it sounded like a good book. I was right about it being a great book, but wrong about the first part, as I didn't put it together that she had co-written Mad Honey, which was also a great book!
Jenny spends this book talking about her life and the differences she experienced while she was a "boyo" vs a woman. It was very interesting to read that the experiences we have as women - lack of safety, body image, etc - also apply to trans women. But of course they do!
I'm glad Jenny has been so willing to share her experiences and important information with the world.
Thank you to Jenny and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a fascinating book!

"What is the difference between men and women? Jennifer Finney Boylan, bestselling author of She’s Not There and co-author of Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult, examines the divisions—as well as the common ground—between the genders, and reflects on her own experiences, both difficult and joyful, as a transgender American."

Boylan takes her experiences as a trans woman and her experiences growing up as a "boyo" as she calls it to look at the differences in how society treats men and women.

Some of the most interesting segments I found included the battle of weight-- as Boylan finds her footing in the world as a woman battling weight and self-image. Hearing her references to what weight meant to her in pre-transition is really eye-opening.

I also found the coaching she had on her voice that included being less authoritative as a women than as a man would speak-- literally teaching submission in tone of voice as Boylan tackled this new phase of life.

Such a really interesting way to look at society and the male gaze/influence/domination.

I have to admit I expected this to be a book about Cleavage.  Some humorist satire that would try to explain the importance, love, hate, necessity, and fascination of breast. (Guess this was one I time I did  judge the book by its cover.

So what it actually is...the landscape that the author has to traverse between her time as a man and her time as a woman. That "in- between" space where she was in essence both.

A fascinating deep look into how it feels and what it means to be a Transgender person.  Boylan handles this with language that anyone could understand regardless of where you stand on the Transgender issue.

Boylan proves what I always believed, it ain't easy to be a woman. Doesn't matter if you are born a woman or transition to being a woman.  It takes more than just balls, it takes heart and soul and one hella of a strong constitution.  The big fool in DC can say they don't exist, but these people; our brothers and sisters, will not go away and they will not be ignored or discounted.
You keep on Sister! I got your back.

Recommended. Published 2/4/2025

Thanks to @Netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

*Thanks to Celedon and NetGalley for the E-Arc, all opinions are my own.*

I had a lovely time reading this! I took my time picking through it, as is my preference with a good nonfiction read. It was nice to kick my feet up at the end of a long day and feel like opening my kindle to read this was actually having a cup of tea with my friend Jenny. The writing felt so friendly and familiar -- and it was so funny too! I really enjoyed learning so much about Boylan's life and family and reading through each little anecdote. I will say, I didn't originally think this was a memoir. The synopsis led me to believe this was more narrative nonfiction than personal memoir, so that threw me off for a while. After a bit, though, I stopped caring. I'm still glad I read it. That became the only real criticism I had, and that can really be chalked up to my own personal error, anyway!

This memoir's witty prose shares a fascinating journey of two genders and how gender affects all aspects of life including relationships and one's self-worth. The division between genders is universally felt but each individual has it's own experience that is unique. Being transgender has never been harder than it is right now.

The writing in the book was beautiful. Jennifer is great at illustrating intimate, emotional moments with language. But I struggled a lot with keeping track of the chronology since the writing is non-linear.

As someone who is familiar with Boylan's activism, I was intrigued by this book! I found Boylan's writing to be conversational, like having a frank discussion with a good friend. The ease of transitions between contrasting Boylan's experiences pre-transition to exploring her femininity feel natural. I'd recommend this more for people who are wanting to gain more insight into Boylan's personal experiences-- as this is more of a memoir than anything else.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

First off, the cover (and the photo they chose) is absolutely iconic!
It’s a perfect fit for this novel and a brilliant choice overall.

I came across a comment where Jennifer mentioned that some people didn’t like the book’s title, but I actually think it was a smart decision. In fact, there were many thoughtful choices made throughout this book.

Having read Mad Honey, I realize I might be in the minority in not being its biggest fan. It also took me a moment to connect Jennifer as the co-author of that book as well. While I haven't had the opportunity to read Jennifer’s first memoir, I was aware of its existence. I think that’s why I expected Cleavage to be more of an essay rather than a memoir, and was a bit surprised to find it was, in fact, a deeply personal narrative.

Though Cleavage is beautifully written and highly engaging, I did find myself wishing for more—specifically, more about Jennifer's life both before and after her transition. What worked particularly well in this book was her exploration of how she viewed boys and men while growing up surrounded by them.

That said, the narrative sometimes felt a bit winy and could have used a clearer direction. Nevertheless, it’s a compelling story with such important things to say.

Cleavage was a significant read for me for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being that, given the current political climate in my country, this book is likely to be banned soon.

3.5
Thank you Celadon Books for the ARC

As a young bookseller more that twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Jennifer Finney Boylan’s pivotal coming out story, She’s Not There. While her latest work, Cleavage, is billed as an excavation of gender, I find that what really lies beneath the hefty title is an exploration of her transness met with the wisdom of aging. While her prose is stunning, I struggled a bit with the time hopping nature of the vignettes. I would find myself dug into a deeply personal narrative, only to be shifted out of that story into a memory. While ultimately these threads are woven together, some of these jumps felt a little self indulgent. Boylan’s exploration of her trans experience is set against her understanding of both her whiteness and socio-economic status, and she is often in awe of her luck at finding herself in a position of privilege while others in the trans community struggle to find safety. I applaud Boylan’s capacity to take the long view of her experience and lay it against what it means for any of us to be called man or woman. I would round this read up to 3.5 stars. Thank you to Celadon Books (Macmillan) and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Rated 4.5 stars on StoryGraph. Cleavage is a memoir comprised of short stories. The author, Jennifer Finney Boylan, came out as a trans woman in her 2003 memoir She's Not There. She quickly skyrocketed to fame and became a spokeswoman for trans rights. In this memoir she discusses gender, her two children, her wife whom she married pre-transition, her childhood, her daughter coming out as trans, her teen and college years, and so much more.
I absolutely loved this book. It was an amazing experience to read the writings of a trans woman who has been out for decades. It was gorgeously written, she has a way of talking about things that don't seem related and I can't tell how they'll connect and weaving them together beautifully. I would highly recommend this. I think whether you're trans or cis, queer or straight, you'll benefit from reading this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy of this book.

This is not my first book by this author, but I did not read her first memoir. And I didn't really think this was going to be so much of a memoir as a comparison between how she was viewed/treated when she previously presented as male versus now. That is what I was expecting. And yes, there was some of that in this book, but there was a lot more. I enjoyed how she wove in clever references to various pop culture items and her stories of past interactions. However, there were multiple times when the same personal references were repeated and that was a bit annoying. After reading the acknowledgements it made more sense as several of these essays had been previously published. But, for me that detracts from a book's enjoyment. I didn't want a bunch of essays. I wanted a cohesive look at Men, Women, and the Space Between Us.

This was pretty interesting, though it was a little different than I was initially expecting! I think the author's comparisons between what views on and acceptance for different genders are now, compared to what they were in the 2000s were poignant and relevant. It is a memoir of course, so there are a lot of personal aspects to this that I don't know how widespread they would be, but I still found it intriguing and something that varies from what I usually read!

4.5 stars!!

How important this voice and this story going out in the world at this exact moment is is not lost on me. The transgender community has been, and will continue to be amidst this incoming administration, faced with fear for choosing to be their true authentic selves. Voices like Jennifer's and other members of the trans community will be so important as we continue to move forward. I appreciate the bravery of sharing stories like this one so allies like myself can have the words and resources to pass on to others. Important and incredible read!