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To My Trans Sisters
Lambda Literary Award Finalist - LGBTQ Anthology
Dedicated to trans women everywhere, this inspirational collection of letters written by successful trans women shares the lessons they learnt on their journeys to womanhood, celebrating their achievements and empowering the next generation to become who they truly are.
Written by politicians, scientists, models, athletes, authors, actors, and activists from around the world, these letters capture the diversity of the trans experience and offer advice from make-up and dating through to fighting dysphoria and transphobia.
By turns honest and heartfelt, funny and furious or beautiful and brave, these letters send a clear message of hope to their sisters: each of these women have gone through the struggles of transition and emerged the other side as accomplished, confident women; and if we made it sister, so can you!
Dedicated to trans women everywhere, this inspirational collection of letters written by successful trans women shares the lessons they learnt on their journeys to womanhood, celebrating their achievements and empowering the next generation to become who they truly are.
Written by politicians, scientists, models, athletes, authors, actors, and activists from around the world, these letters capture the diversity of the trans experience and offer advice from make-up and dating through to fighting dysphoria and transphobia.
By turns honest and heartfelt, funny and furious or beautiful and brave, these letters send a clear message of hope to their sisters: each of these women have gone through the struggles of transition and emerged the other side as accomplished, confident women; and if we made it sister, so can you!
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
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1684 people want to read
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February 29, 2020
So I guess this is my coming out review? I actually have a blog post for that, but of course, some of my transition experiences thus far will be interspersed throughout this review.
Hello, world. I’m Kara now. (That’s pronounced Car-uh.) I’m a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her.
To My Trans Sisters seemed like a perfect book to read and then review on the day I came out online. It’s a collection of letters from trans women to trans women—so, if you had asked me back when I read For the Love of Men, I wouldn’t have considered myself the target audience. Now I most definitely am! Oh, how time makes fools of us all. Charlie Craggs has engaged a very diverse set of voices, which is commendable. These women are from all sorts of places—UK and US, predominantly, but there are other voices here too. They are a variety of ages and have followed many career trajectories (strangely high proportion of military or ex-military women though!). This is the anthology’s principal strength: it accepts and highlights that there is no such thing as a monolithic trans(feminine) experience. As someone who is coming to womanhood towards her middle age, I find that extremely reassuring and helpful.
The letters in this collection are varied yet also similar. Many are written in the form of a letter to one’s younger self, dispensing wisdom the author wish she had known then. Some are written to the hypothetical trans reader. Others are poems, or extremely short tidbits of ideas. As with any collection of this size, the quality of the writing is extremely varied. Not every letter is going to be a hit; indeed, it’s possible most letters won’t be a hit. I found myself agreeing with some, disagreeing with others, and even agreeing/disagreeing within the same letter! And that’s pretty neat.
I basically was looking for two things with this book. The first was confirmation/validation of my personal trans journey. The second was advice or wisdom from women looking back after years, decades even, of being out as transgender and their perspective, which is of course so different from mine as a trans woman in her first year of this whole process. I am a baby!
I really liked Laura Jane Grace’s admonition to “Live as fully as you can, always without apology” (10). That’s definitely a motto I’ve always followed my whole life and is likely why I’ve so abruptly and publicly decided to come out: it’s how I operate. I cannot compartmentalize. I decided it was time to acknowledge I’m trans; I started telling the people most important to me; and then I laid the ground work to come out to everyone else. Today I came out to my colleagues at work; on Monday, when my new classes start, I will come out to my students.
Similar to the above motto, Andrea James says, “transition can liberate you from fear. As much as we might hope and dream and plan, transition is ultimately a leap of faith, an act of courage” (117). I like this. It acknowledges the immensity of this journey while congratulating us and celebrating us for who we truly are: courageous. You know, a lot of my friends have commented, as part of their reaction when I told them, that I’m brave. And I see it. But I’m also super privileged: I’m white, able-bodied, have secure employment and housing … I have a lot of privilege that many trans women don’t have when they consider coming out (and hence, why some never do). So I’m not sure I’m courageous so much as savvy! Nevertheless, I won’t lie. This is a huge thing, and I feel brave for admitting this to myself, firstly, and then for deciding to make it a reality.
Jen Richards also gave me a poignant reminder that “Being trans does not make you special, it just makes you trans.” By this she means that, if one fixates and obsesses over one’s transness at the expense of cultivating other hobbies, interests, and relationships, then of course one’s trans journey will be more daunting. I find this very important to keep in mind. This is all so new to me, so fresh, and I feel an incredible euphoria—after all, I’ve just reframed my entire existence in a way that makes me more comfortable! Yet, at the end of the day … yeah, I’m trans, but I’m so many other things. I’m a best friend. I’m a teacher. I’m a knitter. I’m a reader. Being trans is as much a part of me now as any other aspect of my identity, but it doesn’t make me special. It’s my unique combination of all these attributes that makes me special. Obviously, for a little while, I’m going to be obsessed with my transness. This is a huge adjustment and learning curve! But eventually, I’ll heed Richards’ words and settle down.
I also really identified with Martine Rose’s perspective on acknowledging one’s trans identity:
This perspective coincides much more with mine than some of the more stereotypical narratives about being “born in the wrong body” or “always knowing” one is trans (which are great if they apply to you, but they don’t apply to me). I’m still sorting through my past, re-evaluating my actions in hindsight, uncovering things that might be indications earlier of how I felt. It was just so nice to hear another trans woman express this sentiment.
Then Rose goes and ruins it by adding, in her conclusion, “please don’t lose your femininity (if you are M>F) after you have had the op. I see so many who used to enjoy ‘dressing up’ as attractive women before but seem to lose interest after the op.” Ugh. Who cares what you wear?? Clothes do not make the woman; makeup does not make the woman. I’m going to dress exactly as feminine or masculine as I want regardless of the status of my genitals, and in every single outfit, I’m still going to be a cute girl. And I’m really sorry that Rose doesn’t have the freedom to see the world that way.
Because Charlie Craggs, the editor, closes out the anthology with her letter, and I also really agree with this point:
YES. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE TRANS WOMEN AT THE BACK. That’s exactly how I felt during the sleepless night I had my epiphany. Like, yeah, new glasses and a new hairstyle and new clothes are going to help. Hormones might help one day. But none of that stuff matters as much as this enormous sense of rightness that I felt in the days that followed. As I talked to my friends and family, as I tried out my new name, I kept experiencing that euphoria rather than the dysphoria that so many of us face. I loved it.
There were definitely some viewpoints I didn’t appreciate. For instance, Amazon Eve says, “If this isn’t something that manifested in you from a when [sic] you were little, it’s probably not legitimate.”
What the actual fuck.
The only thing worse than doubt and shaming is doubt and shaming coming from within the house. I went out and checked Eve’s Twitter feed after this, and I probably shouldn’t have. I didn’t even have to read past the first line of her bio: “Intersectionality is nothing more than a loser matrix for terminal self-pity.”
Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Every. Single. Tweet. Is problematic. Oh my.
This kind of toxicity within the trans community (within any community) is awful, and I don’t want it around. And, honestly, it’s making it harder for me to recommend To My Trans Sisters wholeheartedly to … well, my trans sisters. It’s one thing to welcome diverse and even contradictory views in an anthology like this. Nevertheless, it is still very important when creating an anthology directed at marginalized people that one considers the overall ethos one wants to foster. An anthology can be open and still have minimum standards, and I don’t think people like Amazon Eve meet those standards.
(Also, the actual editing? Not great. There are typos and grammatical errors, and it doesn’t seem like Craggs or any other people who copy-edited the book took the time to work with the various contributors.)
I wish I could unreservedly recommend this book to my trans sisters. I don’t know. I liked elements of this book, certain letters and certain people and certain sentiments. I disagreed civilly with others and less civilly with a few. It’s worth mentioning that, for all I sought validation from older trans women in this book, I went into it with an extremely firm and confident grasp on my newfound identity—that is, I was easily able to shake off the doubt or dismissiveness I felt from people like Eve. So consider that too.
You know what would be great? If we had more of these books. Because then we could pick and choose which trans-focused, trans-targeted books we read! (Yes, I know there are others out there, and maybe I will even get to them soon—but we need more, more, more!) Until then … like many other collections of writing by marginalized people, To My Trans Sisters is uneven, enjoyable, questionable, and all right.
But I … I am much more than all right.
Hello, world. I’m Kara now. (That’s pronounced Car-uh.) I’m a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her.
To My Trans Sisters seemed like a perfect book to read and then review on the day I came out online. It’s a collection of letters from trans women to trans women—so, if you had asked me back when I read For the Love of Men, I wouldn’t have considered myself the target audience. Now I most definitely am! Oh, how time makes fools of us all. Charlie Craggs has engaged a very diverse set of voices, which is commendable. These women are from all sorts of places—UK and US, predominantly, but there are other voices here too. They are a variety of ages and have followed many career trajectories (strangely high proportion of military or ex-military women though!). This is the anthology’s principal strength: it accepts and highlights that there is no such thing as a monolithic trans(feminine) experience. As someone who is coming to womanhood towards her middle age, I find that extremely reassuring and helpful.
The letters in this collection are varied yet also similar. Many are written in the form of a letter to one’s younger self, dispensing wisdom the author wish she had known then. Some are written to the hypothetical trans reader. Others are poems, or extremely short tidbits of ideas. As with any collection of this size, the quality of the writing is extremely varied. Not every letter is going to be a hit; indeed, it’s possible most letters won’t be a hit. I found myself agreeing with some, disagreeing with others, and even agreeing/disagreeing within the same letter! And that’s pretty neat.
I basically was looking for two things with this book. The first was confirmation/validation of my personal trans journey. The second was advice or wisdom from women looking back after years, decades even, of being out as transgender and their perspective, which is of course so different from mine as a trans woman in her first year of this whole process. I am a baby!
I really liked Laura Jane Grace’s admonition to “Live as fully as you can, always without apology” (10). That’s definitely a motto I’ve always followed my whole life and is likely why I’ve so abruptly and publicly decided to come out: it’s how I operate. I cannot compartmentalize. I decided it was time to acknowledge I’m trans; I started telling the people most important to me; and then I laid the ground work to come out to everyone else. Today I came out to my colleagues at work; on Monday, when my new classes start, I will come out to my students.
Similar to the above motto, Andrea James says, “transition can liberate you from fear. As much as we might hope and dream and plan, transition is ultimately a leap of faith, an act of courage” (117). I like this. It acknowledges the immensity of this journey while congratulating us and celebrating us for who we truly are: courageous. You know, a lot of my friends have commented, as part of their reaction when I told them, that I’m brave. And I see it. But I’m also super privileged: I’m white, able-bodied, have secure employment and housing … I have a lot of privilege that many trans women don’t have when they consider coming out (and hence, why some never do). So I’m not sure I’m courageous so much as savvy! Nevertheless, I won’t lie. This is a huge thing, and I feel brave for admitting this to myself, firstly, and then for deciding to make it a reality.
Jen Richards also gave me a poignant reminder that “Being trans does not make you special, it just makes you trans.” By this she means that, if one fixates and obsesses over one’s transness at the expense of cultivating other hobbies, interests, and relationships, then of course one’s trans journey will be more daunting. I find this very important to keep in mind. This is all so new to me, so fresh, and I feel an incredible euphoria—after all, I’ve just reframed my entire existence in a way that makes me more comfortable! Yet, at the end of the day … yeah, I’m trans, but I’m so many other things. I’m a best friend. I’m a teacher. I’m a knitter. I’m a reader. Being trans is as much a part of me now as any other aspect of my identity, but it doesn’t make me special. It’s my unique combination of all these attributes that makes me special. Obviously, for a little while, I’m going to be obsessed with my transness. This is a huge adjustment and learning curve! But eventually, I’ll heed Richards’ words and settle down.
I also really identified with Martine Rose’s perspective on acknowledging one’s trans identity:
From a very young age I have always had the wish that I had been born female and this wish only go stronger with time. But I have not felt this wish arose out of the way I was born; I just felt intensely jealous of females for their freedom to wear beautiful clothes, make-up, etc., and I thought that being a painfully shy person, life would have been so much easier for me if I were female in a world that still largely expected men to take the lead in those early days.
This perspective coincides much more with mine than some of the more stereotypical narratives about being “born in the wrong body” or “always knowing” one is trans (which are great if they apply to you, but they don’t apply to me). I’m still sorting through my past, re-evaluating my actions in hindsight, uncovering things that might be indications earlier of how I felt. It was just so nice to hear another trans woman express this sentiment.
Then Rose goes and ruins it by adding, in her conclusion, “please don’t lose your femininity (if you are M>F) after you have had the op. I see so many who used to enjoy ‘dressing up’ as attractive women before but seem to lose interest after the op.” Ugh. Who cares what you wear?? Clothes do not make the woman; makeup does not make the woman. I’m going to dress exactly as feminine or masculine as I want regardless of the status of my genitals, and in every single outfit, I’m still going to be a cute girl. And I’m really sorry that Rose doesn’t have the freedom to see the world that way.
Because Charlie Craggs, the editor, closes out the anthology with her letter, and I also really agree with this point:
… but without even poppin’ a single ’mone, without any surgery or laser, without eve presenting as female, my perception of myself totally changed because I finally accepted myself.
YES. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE TRANS WOMEN AT THE BACK. That’s exactly how I felt during the sleepless night I had my epiphany. Like, yeah, new glasses and a new hairstyle and new clothes are going to help. Hormones might help one day. But none of that stuff matters as much as this enormous sense of rightness that I felt in the days that followed. As I talked to my friends and family, as I tried out my new name, I kept experiencing that euphoria rather than the dysphoria that so many of us face. I loved it.
There were definitely some viewpoints I didn’t appreciate. For instance, Amazon Eve says, “If this isn’t something that manifested in you from a when [sic] you were little, it’s probably not legitimate.”
What the actual fuck.
The only thing worse than doubt and shaming is doubt and shaming coming from within the house. I went out and checked Eve’s Twitter feed after this, and I probably shouldn’t have. I didn’t even have to read past the first line of her bio: “Intersectionality is nothing more than a loser matrix for terminal self-pity.”
Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Every. Single. Tweet. Is problematic. Oh my.
This kind of toxicity within the trans community (within any community) is awful, and I don’t want it around. And, honestly, it’s making it harder for me to recommend To My Trans Sisters wholeheartedly to … well, my trans sisters. It’s one thing to welcome diverse and even contradictory views in an anthology like this. Nevertheless, it is still very important when creating an anthology directed at marginalized people that one considers the overall ethos one wants to foster. An anthology can be open and still have minimum standards, and I don’t think people like Amazon Eve meet those standards.
(Also, the actual editing? Not great. There are typos and grammatical errors, and it doesn’t seem like Craggs or any other people who copy-edited the book took the time to work with the various contributors.)
I wish I could unreservedly recommend this book to my trans sisters. I don’t know. I liked elements of this book, certain letters and certain people and certain sentiments. I disagreed civilly with others and less civilly with a few. It’s worth mentioning that, for all I sought validation from older trans women in this book, I went into it with an extremely firm and confident grasp on my newfound identity—that is, I was easily able to shake off the doubt or dismissiveness I felt from people like Eve. So consider that too.
You know what would be great? If we had more of these books. Because then we could pick and choose which trans-focused, trans-targeted books we read! (Yes, I know there are others out there, and maybe I will even get to them soon—but we need more, more, more!) Until then … like many other collections of writing by marginalized people, To My Trans Sisters is uneven, enjoyable, questionable, and all right.
But I … I am much more than all right.
December 20, 2017
To my knowledge, To My Trans Sisters is the first book of its kind: An anthology of letters written by trans women, and a few other trans identified AMAB people, written for the same demographic. I will begin this review saying that I am not the target audience of this book. I am a trans person, but of the AFAB, butch/genderqueer/transmasculine persuasion. That said, I was still inspired by the advice many women in this book gave. Many of their stories are unique to trans women and femmes, but many are those that all kinds of trans and gender nonconforming people can relate to. Cisgender people (non-trans people) will gain insight into the lives and experiences of many women who share their stories in this book. Most people will recognize at least a few of the names in the book and people who have been part of LGBTQ communities and who follow LGBTQ Western media may recognize many of the names. It was lovely to see women from so many different backgrounds come together to send a message to other women and trans femmes out there.
One of the main strengths of this book is the sheer range of diverse experiences expressed by the women whose stories were included. From what I could tell, ages ranged from teenage to eighties. There were voices from countries from most continents on Earth (though it is very heavy on English (UK) representation because that's where the editor is from.) There are women who are activists, physicists, athletes, programmers, artists, military personnel, celebrity reality show participants, musicians, politicians, doctors, dancers, and many others. There are women of many different racial backgrounds and many different ages of transition. Disability is underrepresented, but Emily Brothers' letter- along with her acknowledgement about how disability and illness compound struggles to obtain medical transition- was very nice to see as a disabled trans person. While the book does heavily highlight the voices of famous and wealthy trans people, there is still a wide range of experiences among them and other voices included as well.
Another one of the book's strengths is the vast range of opinions expressed on gender, womanhood, transition, gender expression, passing, sexuality, and so on. Due to generational, geographical, cultural, and other differences, there is a wide range of terms people use for themselves and their experiences. But, there are also a wide range of tips allowing the reader to take what they need and leave the rest. Some women say to tone down your look in order to pass, others say to look however extravagantly you like and ignore the haters. Some women say they were very supported when they came out, others say they lost everything. Some women have very traditional trans narratives, others have more fluid experiences of gender.
Regardless of these differences between entries though, there is a common thread that runs through all of them: Sisterhood, an insistence on the great value of the women and other trans people who are their target audience, and a message that being who they are is right no matter what anyone else says. Regardless of their differences, all of the writers in this book express a love for and solidarity with their target audience. Other more common pieces of advice that ran through many writings were making sure being transgender doesn't become everything in your life, to still hold on to things you enjoy, to never settle for an abusive partner because you are trans, and also not to assume that everyone in the world is ridiculing- or even paying attention to- you. It was nice to see these messages of hope tie together such a wide range of peoples experiences.
I thought hard about whether or not I wanted to critique the voices of trans women in a book that I was not the target audience for. I decided that I would tread cautiously. So, what I will say is this: There are quite a few women in high ranking military positions in this book who have very pro-military messages that do not line up with many messages I have heard from LGBTQ people (and women in general) in military or related fields who were out or outed. These type of messages, as well as messages coming from women who successfully feigned hyper-masculinity, amassed great wealth and rose to the top of a male-only or male-dominated fields before coming out or transitioning may upset or simply not apply to trans women/girls and other trans people reading this who are poor, of color, who were always clocked as femme/gay/gender nonconforming, or who have otherwise not had the same privileges or access. That said, I realize that there is a place for these voices as there are women right now who are in the same position, waiting to come out, who need that last little push from someone who is in the same position as them. I also realize that privilege and even a neoliberal or conservative political bent does not mean a woman's experience is not valid. Furthermore, women in these positions tended to address and be well aware of the difference between themselves and a poor girl who began transition at 15 or something. I will limit my criticism to that paragraph.
Another thing I noted while reading the book is that a few of the entries mention that they were asked by Charlie Craggs (the editor) to write a letter to their younger selves. However, only a few of the 85 letters included in the book followed this model. I really wish that more of the letters would have followed this model as some are very short and I really wanted to hear more from those people. I am not sure if it was lack of resources, organization, or just being able to get what she got from people. I would have liked to read a book with fewer entries if it was a little more cohesive in this way and a bit better edited, and that is why I am giving it 4 stars out of 5.
Overall, I am happy this book exists and happy to have read it. I believe it could bring some joy and companionship in the sea of loneliness one can sometimes feel living as a trans person in the world. I am very grateful to all of the women and other trans people who shared their letters in the book and to Craggs for taking on this project.
Also published on my blog: http://weightlessstate.blogspot.com/2...
One of the main strengths of this book is the sheer range of diverse experiences expressed by the women whose stories were included. From what I could tell, ages ranged from teenage to eighties. There were voices from countries from most continents on Earth (though it is very heavy on English (UK) representation because that's where the editor is from.) There are women who are activists, physicists, athletes, programmers, artists, military personnel, celebrity reality show participants, musicians, politicians, doctors, dancers, and many others. There are women of many different racial backgrounds and many different ages of transition. Disability is underrepresented, but Emily Brothers' letter- along with her acknowledgement about how disability and illness compound struggles to obtain medical transition- was very nice to see as a disabled trans person. While the book does heavily highlight the voices of famous and wealthy trans people, there is still a wide range of experiences among them and other voices included as well.
Another one of the book's strengths is the vast range of opinions expressed on gender, womanhood, transition, gender expression, passing, sexuality, and so on. Due to generational, geographical, cultural, and other differences, there is a wide range of terms people use for themselves and their experiences. But, there are also a wide range of tips allowing the reader to take what they need and leave the rest. Some women say to tone down your look in order to pass, others say to look however extravagantly you like and ignore the haters. Some women say they were very supported when they came out, others say they lost everything. Some women have very traditional trans narratives, others have more fluid experiences of gender.
Regardless of these differences between entries though, there is a common thread that runs through all of them: Sisterhood, an insistence on the great value of the women and other trans people who are their target audience, and a message that being who they are is right no matter what anyone else says. Regardless of their differences, all of the writers in this book express a love for and solidarity with their target audience. Other more common pieces of advice that ran through many writings were making sure being transgender doesn't become everything in your life, to still hold on to things you enjoy, to never settle for an abusive partner because you are trans, and also not to assume that everyone in the world is ridiculing- or even paying attention to- you. It was nice to see these messages of hope tie together such a wide range of peoples experiences.
I thought hard about whether or not I wanted to critique the voices of trans women in a book that I was not the target audience for. I decided that I would tread cautiously. So, what I will say is this: There are quite a few women in high ranking military positions in this book who have very pro-military messages that do not line up with many messages I have heard from LGBTQ people (and women in general) in military or related fields who were out or outed. These type of messages, as well as messages coming from women who successfully feigned hyper-masculinity, amassed great wealth and rose to the top of a male-only or male-dominated fields before coming out or transitioning may upset or simply not apply to trans women/girls and other trans people reading this who are poor, of color, who were always clocked as femme/gay/gender nonconforming, or who have otherwise not had the same privileges or access. That said, I realize that there is a place for these voices as there are women right now who are in the same position, waiting to come out, who need that last little push from someone who is in the same position as them. I also realize that privilege and even a neoliberal or conservative political bent does not mean a woman's experience is not valid. Furthermore, women in these positions tended to address and be well aware of the difference between themselves and a poor girl who began transition at 15 or something. I will limit my criticism to that paragraph.
Another thing I noted while reading the book is that a few of the entries mention that they were asked by Charlie Craggs (the editor) to write a letter to their younger selves. However, only a few of the 85 letters included in the book followed this model. I really wish that more of the letters would have followed this model as some are very short and I really wanted to hear more from those people. I am not sure if it was lack of resources, organization, or just being able to get what she got from people. I would have liked to read a book with fewer entries if it was a little more cohesive in this way and a bit better edited, and that is why I am giving it 4 stars out of 5.
Overall, I am happy this book exists and happy to have read it. I believe it could bring some joy and companionship in the sea of loneliness one can sometimes feel living as a trans person in the world. I am very grateful to all of the women and other trans people who shared their letters in the book and to Craggs for taking on this project.
Also published on my blog: http://weightlessstate.blogspot.com/2...
February 7, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a little unsure how I feel about this one? I was really looking forward to falling in love with it; a collection of letters by trans women to their trans sisters, edited by a trans woman, sounded fantastic. What this book does offer is a wide range of experiences, in terms of age, nationality, general life stories, etc.- which I thought was really amazing. It was also interesting to see where these experiences intersected with and deviated from one another. I was surprised to see that India Willoughby was included in this collection- I've heard from some trans women that she's a bit problematic. I was also a little uncomfortable by some of the judgement over fashion choices, makeup, etc. in a couple of the letters. I did also find myself skimming through some of these- there's definitely a lot of repetition of the narrative of the journey itself (super important, but the similarity in the language choices made it hard for me to remain hundred percent engaged with the text some of the time). I think this would be a good read for trans women looking for solidarity, love, inspiration, and advice. I'd honestly be more interested to read reviews of this book by trans women.
I'm a little unsure how I feel about this one? I was really looking forward to falling in love with it; a collection of letters by trans women to their trans sisters, edited by a trans woman, sounded fantastic. What this book does offer is a wide range of experiences, in terms of age, nationality, general life stories, etc.- which I thought was really amazing. It was also interesting to see where these experiences intersected with and deviated from one another. I was surprised to see that India Willoughby was included in this collection- I've heard from some trans women that she's a bit problematic. I was also a little uncomfortable by some of the judgement over fashion choices, makeup, etc. in a couple of the letters. I did also find myself skimming through some of these- there's definitely a lot of repetition of the narrative of the journey itself (super important, but the similarity in the language choices made it hard for me to remain hundred percent engaged with the text some of the time). I think this would be a good read for trans women looking for solidarity, love, inspiration, and advice. I'd honestly be more interested to read reviews of this book by trans women.
January 12, 2020
Funky... fun... submissions were pretty obviously from big name contributors that didn’t take this project seriously, and then the rushed email responses were subsequently not so very edited. Letters range from solid (if bland) inspirational or solid practical advice (“don’t smoke cigarettes”- can’t argue with that!!) to pretty aggressively spicy stuff like “lots of people are just going along with trends and shouldn’t ever transition” or “autogynephilia is real and it is my friend” or “stop trying to trick straight guys it’s dangerous” or “Germaine Greer has a point” or “As an omniscient entity,” or “we need to ally with conservatives instead of liberals”. Some of the worst poems I’ve ever personally seen in print. That one billionaire’s letter to trans sisters is just one single cryptic sentence- but I’ll let you find out for yourself what that sentence was!!! Wild ride!! Hard to imagine a way this book could have been more enjoyable to me. What an incredible disaster that no one will face any consequences for
January 3, 2018
Some of these stories, letters, and essays were incredibly touching and affecting. Many, however, utilized abstract language to draw upon the same narrative of transness-as-journey, transness-as-metamorphosis story that saturates popular culture. This is not to say that that narrative isn’t important or useful, but I found myself skimming through many of the letters because they essentially repeated what others had said. This, I think, might just be a problem with the format of the collection, as i’m sure long-form autobiographies of any of the women featured in this book would offer some amazing stories and insights.
One thing I really appreciated was the breadth of women and non-binary femmes features in this collection. Women from all over the world are represented, with viewpoints ranging from army-serving corporate republicanism to queer anarcho-communism. Each letter is prefaced with a brief bio and c.v. of the author as well, which I appreciated. If anything, this collection serves as a great cross-section of contemporary figures in the trans-femme community.
One thing I really appreciated was the breadth of women and non-binary femmes features in this collection. Women from all over the world are represented, with viewpoints ranging from army-serving corporate republicanism to queer anarcho-communism. Each letter is prefaced with a brief bio and c.v. of the author as well, which I appreciated. If anything, this collection serves as a great cross-section of contemporary figures in the trans-femme community.
December 13, 2020
Coming out as a trans people can be difficult at any age, and Letters to My Trans Sisters, an anthology of letters by trans woman to trans woman typifies this fact. Charlie Craggs brought together a vast array of women who transitioned to deliver their own tales of tranisition and all it entails, whether they be an academic, a writer, a performer, a drag queen, politician, a scientist, a journalist and surprisingly a fair amount of military personnel. These women let us know the strength of their conviction that each of them whether as a young teenager or 40 something in a successful career to be out and loud about their transness.
Jen Richards, a writer, actress and producer, beautifully encases what many a trans woman fears that she is making her whole life about her transitions, “Being trans does not make you special it makes you trans.” In her letter she also lets us know that this obsession with ones transness can be necessary but don’t let it consume and forgot about your other passions. They help make you who your are and being trans is a part of that, it can at times seem like it is all you are about. But sister you would be mistaken you are trans and more than that!
Hearing from women, I’ve never heard of it and instantly connected with, such as Monica Helms, Alesha Brevard, Ashley Breathe, Nikki Exotika and Kuchenga are just a few of the varied women whose life experience span decades across continents and are at times vastly different but each holds a true that can be shared by the other. These ladies be fabulous. As with any collection hoping to represent a vast community some other members are the moral opposite of the ones I mentioned above.
I didn’t connect with and found their way of dealing with being trans more in line with how cis people want us to be, which frankly seemed to work out great for them. So maybe I’m a pedantic little bitch, time will tell.
As a collection of letters some may have needed a more refined edit, but the purpose of imparting their knowledge and life experience to the reader was fulfilled. I couldn’t help be in awe of their tenacity.
Jen Richards, a writer, actress and producer, beautifully encases what many a trans woman fears that she is making her whole life about her transitions, “Being trans does not make you special it makes you trans.” In her letter she also lets us know that this obsession with ones transness can be necessary but don’t let it consume and forgot about your other passions. They help make you who your are and being trans is a part of that, it can at times seem like it is all you are about. But sister you would be mistaken you are trans and more than that!
Hearing from women, I’ve never heard of it and instantly connected with, such as Monica Helms, Alesha Brevard, Ashley Breathe, Nikki Exotika and Kuchenga are just a few of the varied women whose life experience span decades across continents and are at times vastly different but each holds a true that can be shared by the other. These ladies be fabulous. As with any collection hoping to represent a vast community some other members are the moral opposite of the ones I mentioned above.
I didn’t connect with and found their way of dealing with being trans more in line with how cis people want us to be, which frankly seemed to work out great for them. So maybe I’m a pedantic little bitch, time will tell.
As a collection of letters some may have needed a more refined edit, but the purpose of imparting their knowledge and life experience to the reader was fulfilled. I couldn’t help be in awe of their tenacity.
August 1, 2018
An eclectic mix of short letters from women who have experienced the trials of transitioning to those who, younger or older, are beginning or contemplating transitioning. This collection's strength is that is it inclusive or, as the cool kids say, "intersectional". Charlie Craggs resisted the temptation to only include those voices who represent her perspective or ideology.
Kate Stone, for instance, writes: "The aim of transition is to come out the other side. . . my aim was to achieve obscurity. . . my goal, to reach a place where being trans was a very obscure part of who I was. I no longer considered myself as trans . . . it does not define me." Then, she was in an accident and the hospital released her personal information and a Newspaper ran the headline: "Sex Swap Scientist Gored by Stag." Kate tells us, "They stole my obscurity, and I've honestly never recovered from that" (24-29). Instead of surrendering, she made herself, unwillingly, a public figure so to fight for others.
Another contributor, Miss Sahhara, writes, "The air of despondency never leaves you, even after your affirmation surgery, because you are faced with new obstacles, such as defending your womanhood, your right to love, your right to a good quality of life, your right to a job and your right to exist in public spaces" (47). Caroline Paige believes she has a duty to be visible: "to be visible, to you, to others, to show you aren't alone, to let you see you can be who you are, to show by example, to inspire" (75).Juliet Jacques warns that it is "easy to fall into being a professional trans person" (121). Rachael Padman seconds that sentiment, "trans is simply one aspect of your history and personality: it is not, nor should it be, a career" (200). Joan Roughgarden, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist, author of Evolution's Rainbow, encourages people to "Read my stuff about gender in biology and across different cultures. We are eternal and global" (230).
Good resource although the quality of the individual contributions varies widely.
Kate Stone, for instance, writes: "The aim of transition is to come out the other side. . . my aim was to achieve obscurity. . . my goal, to reach a place where being trans was a very obscure part of who I was. I no longer considered myself as trans . . . it does not define me." Then, she was in an accident and the hospital released her personal information and a Newspaper ran the headline: "Sex Swap Scientist Gored by Stag." Kate tells us, "They stole my obscurity, and I've honestly never recovered from that" (24-29). Instead of surrendering, she made herself, unwillingly, a public figure so to fight for others.
Another contributor, Miss Sahhara, writes, "The air of despondency never leaves you, even after your affirmation surgery, because you are faced with new obstacles, such as defending your womanhood, your right to love, your right to a good quality of life, your right to a job and your right to exist in public spaces" (47). Caroline Paige believes she has a duty to be visible: "to be visible, to you, to others, to show you aren't alone, to let you see you can be who you are, to show by example, to inspire" (75).Juliet Jacques warns that it is "easy to fall into being a professional trans person" (121). Rachael Padman seconds that sentiment, "trans is simply one aspect of your history and personality: it is not, nor should it be, a career" (200). Joan Roughgarden, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist, author of Evolution's Rainbow, encourages people to "Read my stuff about gender in biology and across different cultures. We are eternal and global" (230).
Good resource although the quality of the individual contributions varies widely.
February 3, 2018
Great read ! Craggs puts together a great collection of love letters with personal stories from trans women involving hope heartache and triumph. Don't assume this isn't for you if you are not trans. If you know nothing of the trans community this book could help you gain some understanding and empathy for the struggles they face. Love your sisters.
June 22, 2019
To My Trans Sisters is an anthology of over seventy letters collected and edited by Charlie Craggs. This invigorating anthology was written by transgendered women for transgendered women, which is a welcome departure from the established genre of texts about transgendered individuals that seek to explain their lives and experiences for a presumed audience of primarily cisgendered individuals.
For the most part, I really like most – if not all of these contributions. To My Trans Sisters contains over seventy collected letters from transgendered women writing letters to their sisters who are just starting their journey, sharing their advice they wished they have been given earlier in their life. Rather than documenting the psychological or physiological steps of self-discovery and transition, these letters discuss transgenderness as embedded in fully individual lives.
Contributors are predominately from the United States and Great Britain, though a scattering of letters are from other parts of the world like Kenya and Thailand. The impressive professional and activist credentials of the letter writers are rather diverse from the creator of the transgender pride flag and the first to serve openly in the United Kingdom military to the ordinary tax-paying citizen.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and To My Trans Sisters is no exception. However, comparatively speaking, they are far and few in-between. Some are just better in conveying their feelings and advice more than others, but it did not diminish my joy in reading this anthology.
All in all, To My Trans Sisters is a wonderful collection of letters written by transgendered women for transgendered women, giving sensible advice and aid in helping those going through the same experiences they have and continue to endure. While written for a transgendered audience, cisgendered readers will find value in reading a work not written primarily for them.
For the most part, I really like most – if not all of these contributions. To My Trans Sisters contains over seventy collected letters from transgendered women writing letters to their sisters who are just starting their journey, sharing their advice they wished they have been given earlier in their life. Rather than documenting the psychological or physiological steps of self-discovery and transition, these letters discuss transgenderness as embedded in fully individual lives.
Contributors are predominately from the United States and Great Britain, though a scattering of letters are from other parts of the world like Kenya and Thailand. The impressive professional and activist credentials of the letter writers are rather diverse from the creator of the transgender pride flag and the first to serve openly in the United Kingdom military to the ordinary tax-paying citizen.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and To My Trans Sisters is no exception. However, comparatively speaking, they are far and few in-between. Some are just better in conveying their feelings and advice more than others, but it did not diminish my joy in reading this anthology.
All in all, To My Trans Sisters is a wonderful collection of letters written by transgendered women for transgendered women, giving sensible advice and aid in helping those going through the same experiences they have and continue to endure. While written for a transgendered audience, cisgendered readers will find value in reading a work not written primarily for them.
July 26, 2020
This is a truly wonderful book. It is a collection of letters from trans women to their younger sisters - the women who are earlier on in their journeys of understanding and accepting themselves for who they are. The premise alone is wonderful, because there were just so many successful trans women in here to celebrate! Hugely successful women in every industry you can think of, icons and trailblazers in their field. It highlighted the lack of visibility of trans people - they are here, they have always been here and I hope very much that it gives the reassurance to younger trans women that everything is possible.
As a cisgendered woman, I am not the audience for this book, but I still found it hugely empowering, inspiring and hopeful. This book should be read widely - it offers so much in furthering our understanding of a multitude of trans experiences, while not focusing solely on how difficult and traumatic it can be. It is uplifting, diverse and just bloody wonderful!
Content warning: while the spirit is certainly positive, this book does contain some instances of transphobic language / descriptions of violence where individual authors are recounting their experiences. However, in all cases it is brief and not particularly graphic.
As a cisgendered woman, I am not the audience for this book, but I still found it hugely empowering, inspiring and hopeful. This book should be read widely - it offers so much in furthering our understanding of a multitude of trans experiences, while not focusing solely on how difficult and traumatic it can be. It is uplifting, diverse and just bloody wonderful!
Content warning: while the spirit is certainly positive, this book does contain some instances of transphobic language / descriptions of violence where individual authors are recounting their experiences. However, in all cases it is brief and not particularly graphic.
December 11, 2017
If you really want to understand trans women then read what they write to the next generation, setting out behind them. Charlie Craggs has expertly curated a collection of letters written by a veritable Who’s Who of trans women from around the world, in which they distill their hard won wisdom. In the process, their candid disclosures reveal the tough and often dangerous life facing women like themselves, even today. The triumph of this book is that so much of it is really unselfconscious. These are not letters written for political effect. They are genuine advice with no holds barred. For the cisgender (non trans) reader the book therefore provides an unusually raw insight.
Five stars!
(Full disclosure: I’m one of the contributors)
Five stars!
(Full disclosure: I’m one of the contributors)
April 22, 2025
I spotted this anthology of letters from trans women in the library and decided to educate myself - though I definitely wasn't the target audience for the book, and found the numerous contributions which amounted to "You go, girl!" to be a bit trite. However there were also some fascinating life stories and perspectives which were cool to read. Particular highlights: Emily Brothers, the first openly transgender woman to run for parliament and who stood for Labour in my own constituency, and Elizabeth Coffey, who was in some early John Waters films and whose story was a hoot. Anyway, I'm glad my local library can still cheerily put books like this on display without dullards asking for them to be removed.
June 12, 2019
A touching and poignant collection of letters and stories from across the feminine trans spectrum, capturing the essence of the trans experience, if such an essence were to exist in some tangible form. For me, this book inspired me to accept and love myself more, to pursue what makes me happy, and ultimately, take comfort in being able to be myself. A book of hope for one who needed it.
July 24, 2018
Great insight into the struggles transwomen face day to day. Highly recommend reading this if you have trans friends and want to gain a better understanding of the issues and BS they are forced to deal with (or, obviously, if you are trans and want to not feel alone in your transition).
April 27, 2018
As I sometimes do with short story anthologies, I started keeping a list of my favorite entries in this compendium reading this book. But that's not really the point, and plus the list got very long. I'm not the audience for the book, as it's written by trans women for trans women, but I still gained some valuable insight from the stories shared by the authors. Oddly enough there do seem to be several "groups" represented here; many scientists, and military veterans, and models are represented, but I think that just has to do with the networking that lead to the book and the fact that stories were sought from "leaders." In a second volume, given the reach of this book, I imagine an even more expansive, diverse group of contributors could be reached. Anyhow, I think it's an excellent text for anyone who fears "liberal groupthink," as, aside from the overall supportive message, clear ranges of differences emerge when it comes to the advice different authors give, how they suggest approaching/not approaching hostile people, and discussions of money/class/priorities---the fact that everyone tells their own story means that the reader is left to consider their points of view on their own, not as binary debates.
January 8, 2024
As I finish this book, the words from the last letter ring truer than ever: my journey (that already began with the start of the book) begins on my own now.
I feel grateful to have the opportunity to read the testimonials and experiences of so many moving personalities who have embarked on a similar journey before me. To know I’m not alone is a wonderful feeling.
On an objective note, I do not recommend this book if you believe you are not a critical thinker or struggle with complex argument formation. This book justifiably amplifies beliefs of people with strong, very intelligent voices, and for an eager reader trying to find their own meaning and form their own opinion - it’s very easy to internalise the wrong opinions in spite of warnings that not every letter is applicable to them.
As for those who should read it, I think you’ll grow so much faster reading these letters than not. There are a lot of things you anticipate to come up that are addressed here and well enough for you to develop decision-making frameworks for your own journey.
Absolutely delighted this was the first book I finished this year!
I feel grateful to have the opportunity to read the testimonials and experiences of so many moving personalities who have embarked on a similar journey before me. To know I’m not alone is a wonderful feeling.
On an objective note, I do not recommend this book if you believe you are not a critical thinker or struggle with complex argument formation. This book justifiably amplifies beliefs of people with strong, very intelligent voices, and for an eager reader trying to find their own meaning and form their own opinion - it’s very easy to internalise the wrong opinions in spite of warnings that not every letter is applicable to them.
As for those who should read it, I think you’ll grow so much faster reading these letters than not. There are a lot of things you anticipate to come up that are addressed here and well enough for you to develop decision-making frameworks for your own journey.
Absolutely delighted this was the first book I finished this year!
March 30, 2024
“the uniqueness of being trans is so precious. our existence is dazzling.”
i truly feel like a different person after reading this book. reading this is a necessity.
i feel so honored to have been able to read the letters and experiences of so many trans women, so disheartened by their struggles and so uplifted by their successes.
there are so many incredible people in this world, and there are so many incredible trans people in this world.
i wrote down quotes and phrases and inspirational messages from this book as i read. i took it slow, biting off pieces at a time, so i could really soak up the messages that these women were giving.
i am fully aware that the messages in this book were not meant for me, a cis woman. but i’m incredibly lucky to have read a book like this, where there are so many women willing to give advice and speak to their own stories for the benefit of others. that a book like this even exists.
trans women are so special and valid and beautiful and brilliant. so necessary for our world. keep on living, y’all. ❤️
i truly feel like a different person after reading this book. reading this is a necessity.
i feel so honored to have been able to read the letters and experiences of so many trans women, so disheartened by their struggles and so uplifted by their successes.
there are so many incredible people in this world, and there are so many incredible trans people in this world.
i wrote down quotes and phrases and inspirational messages from this book as i read. i took it slow, biting off pieces at a time, so i could really soak up the messages that these women were giving.
i am fully aware that the messages in this book were not meant for me, a cis woman. but i’m incredibly lucky to have read a book like this, where there are so many women willing to give advice and speak to their own stories for the benefit of others. that a book like this even exists.
trans women are so special and valid and beautiful and brilliant. so necessary for our world. keep on living, y’all. ❤️
July 25, 2017
This book is a very eye opening look at the transgender community as we learn of different stories of struggles and growth from coming out and transitioning to their true selves.
Many famous people have donated a letter to the book and so in here you may recognise names featured, especially if you're from America in my opinion. I personally have a friend who came out and started treatment to transition from 2010 and I wish this book had existed back then. For support to that one person out there who may need it, this provides words of encouragement and strength to know you are doing nothing wrong and everything right for you which is all that matters.
Many writers in the book work with various charities listed inside and they could also help or if you are curious about learning about trans issues as am I this book is a necessary read straight from the people dealing with this issue themselves.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
Many famous people have donated a letter to the book and so in here you may recognise names featured, especially if you're from America in my opinion. I personally have a friend who came out and started treatment to transition from 2010 and I wish this book had existed back then. For support to that one person out there who may need it, this provides words of encouragement and strength to know you are doing nothing wrong and everything right for you which is all that matters.
Many writers in the book work with various charities listed inside and they could also help or if you are curious about learning about trans issues as am I this book is a necessary read straight from the people dealing with this issue themselves.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
September 8, 2018
Very inspirational and eye-opening. Even though it isn’t meant to be representative of the entire community, the different viewpoints presented helped me refine my concept of gender. Lana Pillay’s letter was especially helpful. It surprised me that a few of the writers had compassion for TERFs (didn’t know the term for them until reading this). But then it stood out to me that many of the chosen voices in this collection made great careers in STEM fields before transitioning (probably made easier by presenting as male), which gave me greater insight into TERFs stance as well (I still disagree, but now I have a more nuanced understanding). I feel like the editing got lazy toward the end. I’m glad these letters were included but it didn’t seem like there was much effort toward fleshing out what made these writer’s experiences valuable and unique. All in all, I think the book does a good job of reminding us how we all come from different places but want the same things.
June 24, 2018
Who have you lost? And the people in the room know you don't mean those who have died. This is the line that stuck with me throughout the book, and was evidenced in nearly all 150 stories from men who had transgendered to women. The book is a plethora of highly successful individuals across the world, and in many different job sectors. Each of these women discusses their own personal journey, and individual struggles with transgender issues: in their part of the world, or in their job. Though the book is aimed at those undergoing a transgender reassignment, the topics which keep coming up are easily relatable two anybody. Because of this, it makes the book widely accessible and relatable: learning how to appreciate yourself, finding your own inner strength, how to address issues of self-confidence, and redefining how you feel the world might see you.
July 19, 2018
This is a essential book for any trans feminine person especially early on in their journey. You get to read of the life experiences of dozens of successful transwomen from many different walks of life.
They have countless amounts of advice to offer that is useful even if you don't take it. You will eventually stumble into the pitfalls they stumbled in and you will be prepared at least for that. But hopefully you'll listen to the stories they tell you about how this is your chance to be you, to be happy to be authentic and that you will be stared at and envied for the courage you have and the curiosity and awe those people have towards you.
I hope to soon own a copy of my own so I can write all over it circling the parts far remind me to keep going. And help me make sense of myself and ignore everyone else with some more insight into what lies along the way in this unending journey.
They have countless amounts of advice to offer that is useful even if you don't take it. You will eventually stumble into the pitfalls they stumbled in and you will be prepared at least for that. But hopefully you'll listen to the stories they tell you about how this is your chance to be you, to be happy to be authentic and that you will be stared at and envied for the courage you have and the curiosity and awe those people have towards you.
I hope to soon own a copy of my own so I can write all over it circling the parts far remind me to keep going. And help me make sense of myself and ignore everyone else with some more insight into what lies along the way in this unending journey.
July 22, 2017
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
While I am not the target audience for this book, I feel like it was a significant read. Awareness of and being a casual ally toward a community is different than empathy and more authentic alliance. These letters are an excellent way for any self-proclaimed ally to learn how to listen. Learning how to listen is not always easy, and I found some of the letters affecting me in unexpected ways. I didn't expect to have any emotions out loud while reading, but I both laughed and cried. I sincerely hope that anyone who picks up this book gives it a chance - there is something to learn, whether it is practical advice or greater empathy, or learning to be a better listener.
While I am not the target audience for this book, I feel like it was a significant read. Awareness of and being a casual ally toward a community is different than empathy and more authentic alliance. These letters are an excellent way for any self-proclaimed ally to learn how to listen. Learning how to listen is not always easy, and I found some of the letters affecting me in unexpected ways. I didn't expect to have any emotions out loud while reading, but I both laughed and cried. I sincerely hope that anyone who picks up this book gives it a chance - there is something to learn, whether it is practical advice or greater empathy, or learning to be a better listener.
January 8, 2018
This is a great addition to the current body of trans literature. These letters are both amazingly personal and eye-opening about what the trans feminine community faces. Plus the mini-biographies show what these women are capable of. Some of that, pretty mind-blowing.
Some of the advice is questionable, although the vast majority of it seems good. No one has to know they are trans in early childhood to be trans - that's the one opinion in the letters that really struck a false note. But that's only one writer's opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this for anyone curious about the lives of trans women and for young people who need to be reminded of that community's accomplishments, which are pretty amazing.
Some of the advice is questionable, although the vast majority of it seems good. No one has to know they are trans in early childhood to be trans - that's the one opinion in the letters that really struck a false note. But that's only one writer's opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this for anyone curious about the lives of trans women and for young people who need to be reminded of that community's accomplishments, which are pretty amazing.
July 26, 2025
I know this book was not written for me, but reading about so many trans women's experiences was incredibly eye-opening. It's fascinating to read these stories about their previous lives as men and the hardships they have endured or continue to endure as women, but also the great sense of conviction they feel living as their true selves.
My only note is that it seems as if these letters were just accepted by the editor as is, and the writing could have used some proofreading before going to print. Otherwise, it is a great collection of personal experiences and advice, and I imagine it could offer solace to any person questioning their gender identity.
My only note is that it seems as if these letters were just accepted by the editor as is, and the writing could have used some proofreading before going to print. Otherwise, it is a great collection of personal experiences and advice, and I imagine it could offer solace to any person questioning their gender identity.
June 13, 2020
While this book may of took me some time to finish it was not from a lack of interest. This is one of those books where you have to give every essay, every memoir, every bit of advice some true thought. This is a truly great guide, and collection of advice for M2F transition. A way to truly paint the struggle and create a community based on hope. While this book is truly honest on the struggles a trans woman will face it is an ever hopeful look on how you can not only make your life better but others just be loving and trusting in your own identity. Sometimes the most revolutionary act if just being your true self.
April 16, 2021
It's an inspiring and authentic book made up by letters written by transwomen all around the world. If you want to take care of yourself and being helped finding self-acceptance and reasonable advices you'll have to read it in order to understand that you're not wrong or a terribile freak. You're wonderful and strong, you will thrive.
If you're not a trans person but intelligent enough and interested knowing better and deeper who really disphoria is you're also a person who deserves to be part of the change.
If you're not a trans person but intelligent enough and interested knowing better and deeper who really disphoria is you're also a person who deserves to be part of the change.
December 5, 2019
This kind of book is made to take advantage of desperate people and get money from them and this is bullshit. Besides the writer didn't even bother to WRITE, they just put together the most generic and bland letters written by some successful trans people and voila they got a book. Also 2 out of 3 letters say THE SAME. Like literally the same message with different words. And the others send a very very very similar message with the same words. There's even a "letter" that just says "buy some shoes that you fit in sweety"
June 4, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Most of the letters collected here are great. I felt a connection to parts of many of the letters. Some of the advice in other letters, I found very very helpful. It has helped to prove my mindset.
Some of the letters were only one or two sentences long and in my opinion shouldn't have been included. Also, a few of the letters were on a good track, then the writer would say something that would jar you and make you think why did they say that!
All in all I really enjoyed this book and am glad I read it.
Some of the letters were only one or two sentences long and in my opinion shouldn't have been included. Also, a few of the letters were on a good track, then the writer would say something that would jar you and make you think why did they say that!
All in all I really enjoyed this book and am glad I read it.
August 23, 2021
To My Trans Sisters is one of the most brilliant and important books of recent years. The contributions from so many incredible trans women are honest and beautiful. I think this is an essential read - not just by those in the LGBTQ+ community but straight people too. We must all take the time to learn about the experiences of our trans siblings, and To My Trans Sisters does a wonderful job at curating a variety of experiences in a raw, unedited and brilliant way that will fill your heart with warmth and build you up as an ally, regardless of how you identify.
July 5, 2019
I feel bad giving this a star rating as I think it's 100% perfect at what it does and it's fantastic that it exists. Perhaps I should have rated it 5 but I won't be rereading, obviously, as I am not the target audience. I do, however, hope that my sister can find hope reading this and discovering the myriad of trans people she can look up to and learn from! Charlie Craggs is an influential woman and I have learnt a lot from this book about how to be a better ally and thus a better person.
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