The road to my daughter

Elisabeth Spencer’s daughter Milly came out as trans at the age of twenty-one. Just a few days later, in one of life’s perfect storms, Spencer’s husband was diagnosed with an advanced terminal illness – and so she was set on course to confront rebirth in the face of death. In this compelling and poignant memoir, Spencer recalls her emotional journey over the course of her daughter’s life, as she struggles first with the mystery of Milly’s constant unhappiness, then with the revelation of her coming out, through a sense of bereavement, bewilderment and guilt, culminating in her determination to help her child become her true self. Written with remarkable honesty, this is both a deeply moving meditation on motherhood and a nuanced and compassionate reflection on trans issues, illuminating how it feels to witness the processes of transitioning and what it means to be a parent.

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