Annabel by Kathleen Winter

A #1 best seller in Canada, award-winning author Kathleen Winter’s debut novel is an intimate portrait of the family of a mixed-gendered child born into a remote, blue-collar sea-side town in Eastern Canada.

In 1968, into the devastating, beautiful landscape of Labrador, a child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor fully girl, but both at once. Only three people are privy to the secret–the baby’s parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and their trusted neighbor and midwife, Thomasina. Though Treadway makes the difficult decision to raise the child as a boy named Wayne, the women continue to quietly nurture the boy’s female side. And as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hypermasculine hunting society of his father, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as “Annabel”, is never entirely extinguished.

When Wayne finally escapes the confines of his hometown and settles in St. John’s, the anonymity of the city grants him the freedom to confront his dual identity. His ultimate choice will once again call into question the integrity and allegiance of those he loves most.

Kathleen Winter has crafted a literary gem about the urge to unveil a mysterious truth in a culture that shuns contradiction, and the body’s insistence on coming home. A daringly unusual debut full of unforgettable beauty, Annabel introduces a remarkable new voice to American readers.

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My Review

An amazing story of self-discovery and acceptance, not just of yourself but your loved ones learning to accept the real you.

Wayne was born a true hermaphrodite and raised a boy even though his mother wanted him to be her daughter. Wayne was never told until he needed surgery to relieve his menstruation in high school. He has always had a hidden feminine side but after this discovery he starts to discover different depths of himself. This is a truly beautiful story that we can all relate to in some shape or form.

Originally posted on Rambling Lisa's Book Reviews