So, Peter is a much-coveted child of a Chinese couple who is settled in Canada for years. He is a boy after all, who came after three girls. But then he did not turn out to be the kind of boy society and his father expected him to be. He plays with dolls and wears his sister's makeup. And later it was revealed, he did not even want to be identified as a boy.
In one of her interviews, Canadian Author, Kim Fu, said that she did not speak to any transgender before writing this book. She just learnt about their lives by observing them from distance. She is right, and it is quite evident in her book ' For Today, I am a Boy'.
I can't help but compare this book with Fierce Femmes and Notorious lairs by Kai ching Thom. Both writers are Canadians with roots in Asia. And both of them were shortlisted for Lambada Awards for LGBTQ writings. Expect, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars ended up winning it. And why not, the story of a boy who was actually a transgender girl was told amazingly after all. It was a fantasy novel which took me to another world altogether. On the other hand, Kim Fu's book was confusing and lost the plot so many times that it left me asking ' what is she trying to say'. It got interesting for a bit and then dull and boring the next moment.
It seemed like Fu was not sure what to do with Peter and that's because she did not do enough research on transgenders' lives. Alright, we get that he grew up with sisters in a conservative environment but then I wanted to read more about the family where the angry mother said ' I have got worst children. Faggots and Whores'. It could be a nice family saga or it could follow a boy confused about his sexuality. But no, Fu took a little bit from everywhere and left us with this confusing novel.
But then there were some parts I liked. I liked his free-spirited sister, Bonnie. But again I wanted to read more about her. And I also liked how the mother accepted the fact that her favorite child Adele, a University professor might never get married, something unusual of Chinese mothers.
In one of her interviews, Canadian Author, Kim Fu, said that she did not speak to any transgender before writing this book. She just learnt about their lives by observing them from distance. She is right, and it is quite evident in her book ' For Today, I am a Boy'.
I can't help but compare this book with Fierce Femmes and Notorious lairs by Kai ching Thom. Both writers are Canadians with roots in Asia. And both of them were shortlisted for Lambada Awards for LGBTQ writings. Expect, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars ended up winning it. And why not, the story of a boy who was actually a transgender girl was told amazingly after all. It was a fantasy novel which took me to another world altogether. On the other hand, Kim Fu's book was confusing and lost the plot so many times that it left me asking ' what is she trying to say'. It got interesting for a bit and then dull and boring the next moment.
It seemed like Fu was not sure what to do with Peter and that's because she did not do enough research on transgenders' lives. Alright, we get that he grew up with sisters in a conservative environment but then I wanted to read more about the family where the angry mother said ' I have got worst children. Faggots and Whores'. It could be a nice family saga or it could follow a boy confused about his sexuality. But no, Fu took a little bit from everywhere and left us with this confusing novel.
But then there were some parts I liked. I liked his free-spirited sister, Bonnie. But again I wanted to read more about her. And I also liked how the mother accepted the fact that her favorite child Adele, a University professor might never get married, something unusual of Chinese mothers.
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