Wrapped In Blue: A Journey of Discovery

Rating:
Summary: No Pollyanna story
Review: Wrapped in Blue is an extremely well written book. The narative flows at an even pace. It captured my attention so completely that I read it in a day and a half. I could not put it down. This is no Polyanna story. It lays out in unvarnished detail the pain, loneliness, and fear experienced during transition. Unlike some recent memoirs on the subject, Donna exerienced a lot of loss. Yet she is unable to turn from the path she is on. This makes clear to the reader that, for the transexual, there are no choices. If there were any way that Donna could have set her transition aside and returned to the life she had for forty years, she would have. But through her story you understand that is impossible. She describes in intimate detail the physical discomfort in the aftermath of FFS and SRS. Anyone considering these procedures should read Wrapped in Blue. After reading it, if you are still intent on going through with surgery, then more than likely it is right for you. On a personal level, I was intrigued that she and I had the same physician and electrolygist in Phoenix. Small world. Read this book. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly well-written
Review: Wrapped in Blue, a frank and sincere memoir about one man's physical and emotional journey into womanhood (including sex-reassignment surgery), is surprisingly well-written, considering the author is not a schooled writer. History, fact, and narrative were balanced by realistic dialogue and vivid scenes.
David Rose had a 'normal' childhood, became a jock, married, and had a son. At several points in his life, he fantasized about being a woman, occasionally donning women's clothing in private, and even Dave/now Donna acknowledges that the early years of his marriage and the years after the birth of his son were some of the happiest and most fulfilling of her life.
But always, somewhere within lurked the gender bender tiger, and inevitable the tiger pounced. Dave became driven to face these difficult issues and explore the much misunderstood need to become the woman he had always felt himself to be.
Excellent story-telling. Astounding photos.
For a very different style of telling this uncommon tale, read Jan Morris's Conundrum. Unlike Donna Rose, Morris is a thoroughly experienced and superb writer. Her tale of the same journey is lyrical, passionate, funny, and so literary it'll knock your socks off. Without Morris's book out there as the gold standard, I'd have given Wrapped in Blue 5 stars. But for a 4-star read, it's darned good.