Detransition, Baby: A Novel

October 2, 2021 10:00 PM

In Torrey Peters's 2021 novel, the lives of three people—transgender and cisgender—collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires. Longlisted for The Women’s Prize, a Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club Pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice.

Author Torrey Peters On Seeing Through A Trans Lens (NPR)

Groundbreaking new novel Detransition, Baby lays bare the innermost thoughts of trans women (Vox)

Torrey Peters Addresses Transphobic Backlash Over Women’s Prize Nomination (Vulture)

posted by rogerroger (4 comments total)

I'm finding this kind of heavy going, since Reese, Ames, and Katrina are all pretty awful people. And the worst thing is, they are awful in ways I recognize. I mean, bigger than and more dramatic than, but I've met these people and their awful messed up choices, and they are friends, and I want it to work out for them, and I am kind of scared it won't. So I'm taking a break.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:48 PM on October 5, 2021

GenjiandProust, if you already feel this about the characters and haven't finished the book, you may not enjoy the rest. I didn't think Reese, Ames, and Katrina were awful people. Yes, Reese and Katrina did horrible things at times (did Ames?) but what I liked about the book is that you could peek into their motivations and understand why they did what they did.

I am glad I read this book and found it very worthwhile to read. There were times when I felt like Torrey Peters was exploring ideas and sharing thoughts rather than telling a story, and that took me out of the book. Still, as a white, cisgender heterosexual woman, I found many of the ideas new and valuable.
posted by rogerroger at 9:46 PM on October 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

I guess I shouldn't say "awful." They are hot messes, though, to be sure, and, as I've said. I have known people like them. The writing is very evocative, and I expect I will pick it back up after a brief time away.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:30 PM on October 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Not so brief a time away, as I just finished it. It’s a hard read, since I saw people I know echoed in the characters. If I have a complaint, it’s that we don’t see enough of Ames in the “current day” it’s a tough read, but a good one.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:36 PM on April 7, 2023