You Know, Darlings, I Think Reese Is On To Something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        I have always been skeptical of celebrity book clubs.  I mean, after the whole Oprah-Jonathan Franzen thing, with "The Corrections," I ceased taking her seriously.  Not that I ever did.  She takes herself seriously enough--too much so, if you ask me,  Oprah does not need my help.

                                       But Reese Witherspoon is another thing.  Having read two of her book selections--"Where The Crawdads Sing," by Delia Owens, and the current selection, listed above, and another one waiting on my pile, I may just stick with Reese.

                                         "What grabbed me about "This Is How It Always Is," was the plight of a family raising a transgender child.  It starts out with an already atypical family--their name is Walsh-Adams.  Rosie is a pediatrician, husband Penn a struggling writer.  He is a good father, but a househusband, who does due diligence, without fail.  Rosie is the breadwinner.  They have four boys, and, eventually, a fifth.  Boy, are they fertile.  Either that, or they cannot abstain from sex!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             It is the fifth child, Claude, who transforms the family.  As early as five, he announces wanting to be a girl, and wear dresses.  This cute enough, if it is done at home, (I used to dress up in all kinds of funny, sometimes femme costumes, at home. But I never wanted to go beyond there.) but what about taking it into the outside world, and being out and proud?  One has to admire Claude, now Poppy, for his courage and obstinacy, but when one of his straight brothers betrays him, the truth is out in the open, and no one, least of all, Poppy, knows what to do.  The possibility of youth suicide hangs over this portion of the book, and I was afraid that was where the author was going.

                                                All I will say is, she does not.  How Poppy, and family come to accept him, themselves, and the culture around them is beautifully written and affirming.  After reading some rather heavy academic stuff--or, at least, material that aspired to be (though "The Weight Of Ink" is the real thing) this was refreshing and moving.  I would like to have known more about Claude, now Poppy, again; I would not have minded, had the story gone on a bit!

                                                 Interestingly enough, while the novel is not literally autobiographical, the author has a transgender child, herself, so it must have been both difficult and important for her to write this story.  Whatever she may write on in the future, she bears careful watching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    And, parents, don't worry too much.  I started out playing  with "Miss Cookie's Kitchen." by Colorforms, and it did NOT make me a domestic goddess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!