First published 2002
Calliope Stephanides is born a baby girl in 1960s Detroit, but later emerges as a teenage boy. Tracing the family's migration from Greece to America, Calliope uncovers a genetic secret that transformed their legacy. This lyrical and thrilling reinvention of the American epic explores identity, belonging, and what it means to find one's true self. Fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson will appreciate the novel's rich historical backdrop, complex characters, and page-turning momentum. Middlesex is a poignant meditation on gender, family, and the struggle to become who we're meant to be.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Detroit (Mich.), Grosse Pointe (Mich.)
544 pages · Paperback · Picador