SHE'S MY DAD
Author
Iolanthe Woulff
Publisher
Outskirts Press
4 Review Copies Left
"Don't hate, Nicholas. Hate destroys everything. Don't let it destroy you..."
A cautionary tale about the consequences of blind prejudice, SHE’S MY DAD tells the story of a transsexual woman named Nickie Farrell, who, returning to her Northern Virginia alma mater to teach English to a new generation of scholars, is unaware that in the nearby town lives a son from an adulterous love affair she had during her male undergraduate days.
As Nickie’s hopes to keep a low profile are dashed by an overly-ambitious lesbian journalism student, a dying reactionary billionaire hatches a scheme to obliterate the despised liberal school with a suicide dirty bomb attack. Local and college people alike become ensnared in a web of bigotry and mistrust, while one long-buried family secret may offer the only hope for everyone’s ultimate deliverance.
Filled with richly-drawn characters and building to a stunning climax, SHE’S MY DAD is a story about the destructiveness of hate, the power of love, and the redemptive triumph of good over evil.
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Like her title character Nickie Farrell, Iolanthe Woulff is a transsexual woman. A sixty-year-old Princeton-educated English major, she lives in Palm Springs, CA, where for several years she wrote a column in a local magazine about the challenges of gender transition. As the eldest child of author Herman Wouk, storytelling has always been dear to Ms. Woulff's heart. Her hope is that besides providing a suspenseful read, SHE'S MY DAD will help to dispel some of the widespread misconceptions about transsexual people.
Reviews
Astonishing clever book~~entertaining, interesting, shocking and an easy read. It's no wonder "She's My Dad" was chosen as a "Finalist - Next Generation Indie Book Awards." Iolanthe Woulff gives a shadowy window into the little-known world of a transsexual in the most liberal of environments, a college created by a gay man for "alternate lifestyle" learners and educaters.
With honesty and no-uncertain-terms storytelling, Ms Woulff shares what appears to be her personal experiences with both the homosexual lifestyle and the challenges of life as a transsexual.
While her writing is sound and intelligent with characters believable for the most part, I found the main character, transsexual professor, Nickie Farrell, somewhat flat and lacking. We do get her reactions and relationships to the college people around her, but Nickie's personal background...the hows and whys of how she made the choice for her transformation and the challenges of that journey, are glaringly absent. I was left wanting more. Her swift dismissal of emotional "hits" and her oddly superficial reactions of running away for a few days and having brief talks with her friend leave Nickie rather an empty shell.
"She's My Dad" contains strong language and imagery that seems geared toward those who are familiar with a darker side of life, or have experienced it personally. There is much having to do with the downside of homosexuality and violence surrounding it. However, here is where Ms Woulff's strongest and most realistic writing emerges! And, in my humble opinion, I think she has the makings of a fabulous Stephen Kingish author.
In conclusion, though I would not recommend this book for all readers, I have to applaud Ms Woulff for her courage in bringing us this book about the life of a transsexual. It is a timely and important story. It carries the hope of understanding, acceptance and love for all kinds of people no matter what they are inside and out.
Reviewed on 01/13/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Deborah Previte
