First published 2011
In remote Canada in 1968, a baby is born with both male and female characteristics. The parents and their neighbor decide to surgically assign the child as male and name him Wayne. They guard this secret as Wayne grows up immersed in his father's masculine hunting world. But the feminine side of his identity, which he calls Annabel, persists beneath the surface. The women around Wayne quietly nurture this hidden aspect of who he is. As Wayne reaches adulthood, the suppressed female identity grows stronger and more insistent. Annabel refuses to remain silent any longer. When Wayne finally acts on these feelings, the revelation transforms not only his own life but also forces the three adults who kept his secret to confront the consequences of their long-ago choice.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, canadian-literature, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secret-identity
Setting: Canada
Period: 1968
480 pages · Kindle Edition · Vintage Digital
Content warnings: medical-trauma