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Mar 26, 2017sgcf rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I liked this book about secrets more than I thought I would. About secrets kept – of a child hermaphrodite growing up a as the boy Wayne – and about secrets hesitantly revealed – of the girl Annabel living within ‘his’ body and psyche. On page 87 his mother says about another issue: It could be [bad] if you hide something important from someone you love, which captures the main theme of the book. Author Kathleen Winter beautifully explores the true nature of friendship, and Wayne/Annabel’s journey to self knowledge. And this is part and parcel of creating characters who the reader really comes to know. Winter examines parenting styles – of those who seek to shape the child into their own preconceptions, and of those who nurture what they see of the child’s nature and interests. Although the author also intends the book to be about the father’s self growth, so much of him is revealed at the end, and not planted earlier, that I found that aspect a weakness