A coming of age romance centered around a teenage transgender (MtF) with familial issues.
At fifteen years old, James Farrow was removed from home by social services for his own safety. Now he is eighteen, he is no longer the responsibility of the welfare state. Returning home to an uncertain reception, James finds his father has mellowed and his brother is delighted to have his hero back. Life could run smoothly for James now he is home again but he has a painful truth to confess; James is transgender. He’s always known he wasn’t intended to be born a boy but now he wants to begin his transition into the woman he should be. Even before he faces his family, a ghost from his past emerges. A friend who seeks to blackmail him for an act recorded he wishes hadn’t happened. Fear of his past being exposed, he agrees to the friend’s demands with unpleasant repercussions. Just as things couldn’t get worse for the young teenager, his brother learns his hero is much less than he though and the younger sibling’s anger becomes physical. James has one confidante, a friend since childhood; Tina is his support through all his anguish but she too rocks his world when she admits she loves him. Confused and struggling to come to terms with his own feelings, James needs to find a resolution that both meets his needs and is accepted by friends and family alike.
Her Name is James is an emotional journey for the lead character and for the reader alike. It is an involved tale that avoids the sensational aspects of the life of a transgender teen and concentrates on the needs and compromises James has to face up to. NOTE: The aspects of transition made mention of in this story relate to the process as it stands in the United Kingdom and some readers will identify significant differences if making comparison to other countries actions.
Excerpt
Noise came, loud and harsh, it cut through the night. The brickwork at the bottom of the shop she lay by lit up in a disjointed sequence of brilliant white and electric blue flashes of light that carried her mind back to the club for a moment. She felt herself being moved ever so gently, a deep but gentle voice reassured her with words she couldn't follow. Fingers tentatively brushed at her neck as determined and trained hands assessed her injuries. A set of small, rubber ringed metal wheels passed in front of her vision and she felt herself being moved. She was rolled almost tenderly and felt the light rain fall on her face. Silhouettes leant over her but she sensed no hostility. These were not the pack animals that had brought her down, these were the hands of help.
Harsh white light forced her to close her eyes as, wrapped in a red blanket, they lifted her and slid her forward into the ambulance. The green of the paramedics seemed to glow in the brilliant interior. A male voice reassured from the side, then past that came a female voice, another medical green uniform passed her by and continued on into the driving compartment of the vehicle.
From the rear door a voice spoke; slightly raising her head, she saw the darker, blacker uniform of a policeman. The effort proved too much, she sank back into the padded stretcher, groaning at the sharp pain that seemed to stab into her side.
Through the narrow window of the rear door and the thin strip of glass above her head, she could see the emergency lights still turning and shining against walls and vehicles outside. The engine kicked into life, a brief blare on the siren to announce their departure and they moved out of the street and turned for the main road and the short trip to the hospital. The paramedic leant over her and spoke, she didn't identify words but his voice came across as reassuring, then she felt his hands on her jacket, then her dress. She started to struggle, a minor resistance which he was patient with, the voice continued to try and calm her. She still feebly fought back at him. He soothed and cajoled and as she started to cry again, she accepted his ministrations. Quietly she sobbed to herself, she tried to hide her face as he cut away the clothing he couldn't easily undo.
The male paramedic stopped. He stopped abruptly and despite his training, despite his determination, he lost a small battle within himself. There was procedure to follow and in twenty years, he'd followed the procedure to the letter. Everyone received the best care he could offer. It was what he liked most about the job. His own views and prejudices were left outside the moment he reported for duty. For the first time, he found himself too confused to do his job. Puzzled and distracted, he made a choice. Not proud, he took a step to the side and leant through to the woman driving.
“Jen, can we swap?” he asked.
Jenny Weston, the driver, glanced into her rear view mirror into Peter Boratti's eyes. She'd worked with him for over a year and he didn't ask things that were of insignificance. She drove, he treated. Half way through the shift, they'd swap roles. Once in a while they'd change early or even not change at all. It depended a lot of the time on how their day had gone before they came to work. When her children were home from school Jenny would have trouble sleeping in the day and would prefer to be behind the wheel where her concentration had to be so total she had no time to consider being tired. What she couldn't recall having happened before was for Peter to call a swap with a passenger on board. Her eyes caught his in the mirror, they questioned him silently. He swallowed hard.
“I'll drive, you can look after...” he gestured to the patient with his head.
Jenny slowed and started to steer the ambulance to the side of the road “What's the problem?”
Peter hesitated. There wasn't a way he could word this that wouldn't come out badly. He liked to think of himself as worldly-wise and unaffected by life's quirks but tonight was certainly a new experience. Reassuring himself that he was doing the right thing, he justified his action to himself with the consideration that he couldn't offer his best if he was distracted. He chewed his lip as Jen waited on him. It took a moment but he managed to blurt out his reasoning.
“You're better at stuff like this!”
Jenny pulled an incredulous face. There had to be something behind that comment that he wasn't saying. She'd been partnered with Peter long enough to admire his professionalism, this was something new. Curious and considerate, Jenny braked to a stop. Swapping places, Jenny squeezed through to the back and Peter took her place in the driving seat. He put the ambulance in gear and with a disconcerted shake of his head, he pulled away.
In the rear of the ambulance, as it accelerated away, Jenny leant against the oxygen bottle as the vehicle swayed as it pulled out. She steadied herself and half sat, half squatted by their passenger. Her eyes ran quickly over the partially clothed body and rested on the face of her patient. The dark eyes that peered back at her through smudged make up were wet with tears and filled with a pain beyond that of the physical. Jenny pulled on a fresh pair of surgical gloves and reached out to the prone figure, Jenny squeezed gently on the hand that lay held against the cracked ribs.
“What's your name honey?”
A sniff and the eyes flinched as tears fell again. A slight clenching of the jaw, rapid blinking and a cracked, quiet, quavering voice whispered, “James, my name is James.”
Professional Reviews
sd321 - Amazon.fr
One star is for the grammar and orthographic chase! THANK YOU!! Thanks to facilitate my reading experience as a non native english!! I know it's a huge work and i recognise it!
But the most important is the subject. The story is very special, it's the first time i take the risk to read a book portraying transgender characters. I am open minded as long as there is a bit of romance in it, but this time i took time to think about whether or not i would read this one.
But you know what? I didn't regret it one bit! At some point near the middle of the book there is an angsty part, but it's short and turned in a way it didn't bother me very long, it was good and well written. The author used a writing style tool to make it more light than it would have been in real life, so it was ok. I don't give away any spoiler, so you have to read to know...
Finally I must say i fell in love with the main character, she is sweet, and i also loved the meaning of it all, the way the author afford us a key to understand something new without hurting our feelings full frontal. I will keep a very fond memory of the two main characters (the other girl companion kicks ass!) and their family! I really loved each of them.
This is a real novel, in the noble sense of the word.
I RECOMMEND IT !!! I just recommend it!!! Capitals are needed!!! yes!!! go and read.
Melissa Claire - Amazon.com
This is the first book I have read by this author and I was delighted to find a beautifully written tale of love and acceptance. I would recommend this heartwarming tale to anyone who doesn't mind a good cry and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...
From Klaire Sutherland - Amazon.co.uk
Now and again a book comes along that just leaves a profound impression on you, for me this is that book. Now I read a lot and perhaps 4 or 5 books this year have had me totally enthralled and at a loss for words, yes, the book hangover, and this one has been added to that list!
I went to bed thinking about this, I woke up thinking about this! I've never read anything on this topic before although I am familiar with it, and C J heath had sucked me in totally at about 8%. I seldom cry but had the tissues out at this point! I thought I would be getting a piece of silly, self indulgent literature when in fact I got a cleverly written emotional rollercoaster to rival many!
So what's it about? James, it's in the title really, and I'm not one for spoilers so I will have to word this carefully. James is struggling to break from the confines of who he is to become who he really wants. You are plunged into many different dynamics and scenarios, both good and bad, as he tries to navigate his way through life and come out the other end a happy person with the acceptance of those that matter the most to him.
There are so many poignant moments that sometimes you just want to crawl right into the pages and somehow be there for him. The main crux I guess would be the family, he has very different relationships with his Mum, Dad and Brother and it's heart breaking to watch the fallout and the make ups of these relationships. There's a father and son struggling to understand each other but for me their relationship offered some of the most awkwardly beautiful moments of the book, yes, tissue moments!
James himself struggles with the words he needs to explain himself at times. There is a love story in here too, and it is a love born of total acceptance, it's quite something to watch it blossom. James finds it hard to put him and Tina together but she also feeds him the fuel he needs to be stronger.
Then there's the brother, and the loss he feels when he realises that his James is not the brother he thought he was. He doesn't know how to feel, or even why he feels how he does but it is a destructive force that culminates in a tragic way. You feel everyones emotions and struggles throughout the whole process and that
is something hard to get right. There is some violence and love making in this but they are not over the top and not the main focus of the book which pleased me greatly.
This book makes you ask questions of yourself, and yes most likely uncomfortable ones. Whilst this won't be everyone's cup of tea it was certainly mine and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. There was no skipping pages and no detached reading from me. It's not as hard a read as you would think considering the subject, this one will leave it's mark on me for sure. Highly recommended and a huge 5/5 for me
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