Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Never have there been only two genders—male and female. A third gender, denied by society and hidden by the medical community, has always existed, and that is what Sophie Schmidt discovers when, at the age of fourteen, she learns the truth of how she was born. Sophie then embarks on a journey to learn more about her true self and to find others born like her. When Sophie moves to New York City, she enters the world of gays and lesbians, as well as those who are transgender and transsexual. Searching for her own place in society, her journey leads her to Alice Parker, and Sophie takes the final steps to accept herself enough to allow another to love her.

 

Book Review

This story moved into my heart, surrounded my gut, let me cry with no shame, and resurrected feelings of love, pain, tenderness, fear, and need. I got to be with a person who is burdened right from the moment of birth with an overwhelming sense of being different that continually forced a fear that shadowed almost every experience and every relationship. I nearly walked away from this book countless times and tried to convince myself it was an okay thing to do. I praise some curious internal tenacity that helped me get through the early years with the main gal that cut a bit too close to home. I don't know if everyone has to deal with issues so overwhelming as to consistently place oneself apart from the world. I got to participate in Sophie's birth, the first few days afterward, and then many key times during her powerful life experiences. I welcome such experiences and this book provided a powerhouse collection of them. Stick with it and feel the earth move!

Sophie started her life with an "X" on the line for her gender. That is an amazing understatement. She went through some heavy duty shit before she sort of understood what had happened to her and then spent years studying the condition in depth and still not grasping it entirely. Her studies told her the proper term for her condition was 'Intersexual'. Sophie started off life with both male and female genitalia. The exhausting and painful medical procedures left monumental physical and emotional scars. Life situations added more emotional scars. I felt as if I lived in Sophie's heart and mind through years of lows and a few blips on the high scale. I cannot imagine anyone reading this story and not feeling rather drained and exhilarated for having spent time in Sophie's shoes, heart, and body. I totally fell in love with her; she is such a trooper.

Several amazing characters pass through Sophie's life and they are all treasures, but her immediate family were simply extraordinary and delightfully down to earth. Mary, Sophie's mother, carries the greatest burden through the years, but willingly hangs in and offers as much strength, guidance, and love to Sophie even when during the early years, Sophie refused everything on occasion. Holly is Sophie's older sister and even though they are quite different there was a beautiful sisterly bond that served them both during different struggles and life's demands. Max, Sophie's father, is not as closely in the picture, but he commands a respect, an admiration, and huge hunk of love, too. He wasn't just a taciturn man of the soil, but he certainly passed his love of the land onto Sophie. 

This book is a journey...an extraordinary one that I hope everyone takes. So many twists and turns as Sophie tries to fit in somewhere. Some folks will be able to commiserate from personal life challenges more than others, but I feel everyone will be able to learn and feel from a deeper and wider perspective if you follow Sophie's journey till where the author takes you. I really treasure stories where I can get totally immersed, cry, laugh, and touch the heart of the universe!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 94000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-December-2013
Price	$9.99 ebook, $16.95 paperback, $19.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/in-between-by-jane-hoppen-499-b