Inside Out

I didn't know much about April Ashley before reading this book so it was great to learn about her history and the journey she went through.

April Ashley was one of the Britain's best-known and in demand fashion models in the early 1960's,even being photographed in Vogue by David Bailey . Her burgeoning career as a model and actress crashed to the ground when with it's notorious disdain for wrecking lives Britain's gutter press of the time,in this case the Sunday People, "outed" her as a transexual. Born into poverty in Liverpool,and with "being born in the wrong body" only one of many of life's trials that she had to overcome she physically became a woman at the age of 25 in 1960.

This is the fascinating,and eventful,story of someone who lived life to the full and mixed with the great and the good (and not so good) in "swinging 60's London. April was no wallflower and, after the press had revealed all, throughout her life was open and proud of who and what she was.
Names are dropped liberally throughout the book and April's thoughts and feelings are laid bare. There's a lot of misunderstanding and prejudice about Trans people now, so imagine the reaction April,a very well-known public figure, received over 60 years ago.
There's no self-pity here,far from it, despite her many travails April loved life and carried on regardless.
As well as the life story of a fascinating and inspirational person, she received an MBE for services to transexual equality, the book gives a valuable first hand insight for those who "don't get" what being transgender means.