And She Was

Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 12, 2018

Review

A young woman meets her extended family for the first time after discovering that her mother is a transgender woman in this nuanced and poignant work of contemporary fiction. Aspiring tennis star Dara has long been stung by her otherwise supportive single mom's seeming disinterest in her goal of breaking into the pro circuit. When she goes searching for documents she needs to get a passport so she can compete in a tennis competition in Canada, she finds photos and a birth certificate that at first make her think her mom adopted her. When Dara confronts her, however, the truth comes out: Dara's mom is transgender and was her biological father; her biological mother died soon after she was born. Enraged and hurt that her mom has kept this history from her, Dara, in the company of her best friend Sam, takes off to find her birth mother's parents. Strong, multi-dimensional characters firmly anchor this story and a developing romance between Dara and Sam proves an engaging enough subplot. However, the center stage narrative that takes shape as Dara meets her warm-hearted aunt and caring but bigoted wealthy grandparents, all the while receiving emails from her mom that explain her backstory, is the focus here and it's compellingly told. Dara herself is somewhat self-centered, though readers will stick with her through this journey, as she gradually comes to understand the degree to which her mom was threatened by her in-laws. A worthwhile and thoughtful novel that will be appreciated by teen fans of realistic fiction, particularly those who favor neatly wrapped endings.

Overall Book Score: very good