Description: Before Caitlyn There Was Audrey

Chastity Bono is now Chaz. Bruce Jenner is now Caitlyn. But years before either one of them revealed their true identity to the world, an ordinary woman learned that her husband self-identified as and planned on having surgery to become a woman.

In her memoir, Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey, award-winning journalist Alexandra Bogdanovic shares her real life experience of meeting a man, falling in love, getting married and discovering her husband had a devastating secret. The stunning and heart-breaking revelation came two years after the author and her husband, Adam, exchanged vows in a fairy-tale wedding shown on television.

In a book she describes as part comedy, part tragedy and part romance, Bogdanovic gives readers unique and valuable insight into an issue now making national and international news. Learn how she and Adam met, fell in love and got married. Find out how she learned the truth and struggled to cope with extraordinary circumstances in a book that is sure to generate timely and meaningful conversation.

Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey has received numerous awards. Most recently, it was a 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards finalist in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Non-Fiction category. It was also a 2014 National Indie Excellence Awards finalist in the LGBT Non-Fiction category; and the 2013 New England Book Festival winner in the Gay Literature category.

Bogdanovic recommends both National Center for Transgender Equality and Human Rights Campaign as resources for the LGBT community. (Taken from NetGalley)

Rating: 2/5 stars

Cover: I looked at it and I knew I had to read this book.

Review: I am very disappointed after reading this book. Probably I had false expectations and that is the main reason I didn’t enjoy it. I thought it would tell us how the couple coped with the situation, I thought it would be sensible, I thought there would be a little comedy? I have found none.

Like 40% are a retelling of how Alex and Adam/Audrey met. I found it rather boring. A lot of information about horseback riding and the words didn’t really flow.

As soon as it is ‘revealed’ that Adam is not Adam but Audrey it got worse and worse. I understand if Alex uses the wrong pronouns when talking about Audrey because she was hurt and didn’t really understand it. But right until the end there were always male pronouns and Audrey was still called Adam. I didn’t like this.

Aside from that the second half of the book is a big pity party in my eyes. It’s just…. a lot of venting? After reading the description I thought she would be at Audrey’s side, but Audrey wasn’t really a part of the second half. I know this book is supposed to show the other side but still. A lot of unnecessary comments made by her family and friends, too. I had the feeling everyone was more or less disgusted by Audrey and poor, poor Alex, who doesn’t do anything wrong and is just a victim.

This changes a little at the end where the author says how mad she was.

I feel I should mention alcohol as a trigger and of course transphobia.

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I got it as an ARC via NetGalley for free in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.