Memoirs help share ideas and experiences through a firsthand perspective — for transgender and gender non-conforming readers, we know how important and helpful these personal narratives can be in helping us understand our own selves. The books on this page are all transgender memoirs. Buy them new or used on Amazon or check your local library!
Whipping Girl
Julia Serano
Order on Amazon
“Whipping Girl tells the powerful story of a transsexual woman whose supremely intelligent writing reflects her diverse background as a lesbian transgender activist and professional biologist.”
Stuck in the Middle with You
Jennifer Finney Boylan and Anna Quindlen
Order on Amazon
“A father for six years, a mother for ten, and for a time in between, neither, or both, Jennifer Finney Boylan has seen parenthood from both sides of the gender divide.”
Just Add Hormones
Matt Kailey
Order on Amazon
“Matt Kailey lived as a straight woman for the first forty-two years of his life. Though happy as a social worker and teacher, he knew something wasn’t right.”
Becoming a Visible Man
Jamison Green
Order on Amazon
“Written by a leading activist in the transgender movement, Becoming a Visible Man is an artful and compelling inquiry into the politics of gender.”
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More
Janet Mock
Order on Amazon
“In this New York Times bestseller—the first transgender memoir written by an African American—an extraordinary young woman recounts her coming-of-age.”
She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders
Jennifer Finney Boylan
Order on Amazon
“In this autobiography, Boylan details her lifelong struggle with her burgeoning femaleness and the path she followed to become a female, both physically and mentally.”
A Queer and Pleasant Danger
Kate Bornstein
Order on Amazon
“The true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology, and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today.”
I Rise
Toni Newman
Order on Amazon
“I Rise is the true story of Toni Newman’s transformation from an effeminate, conflicted male to a proud, educated transgender woman.”
Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man
Chaz Bono
Order on Amazon
“Chaz Bono’s groundbreaking and candid account of a forty-year struggle to match his gender identity with his physical body and his transformation from female to male.”
Woman I Was Not Born To Be
Aleshia Brevard
Order on Amazon
“Told with humor and flair, this is the autobiography of one trans woman’s wild ride from boyhood in rural Tennessee to a voluptuous female entertainer in Hollywood.”
Bumbling Into Body Hair
Everett Maroon
Order on Amazon
“A comical memoir about a klutz’s transition, Bumbling into Body Hair shows how a sense of humor – and true love – can triumph over hair disasters, resurrected breasts, and even the most crippling self-doubt.”
The Last Time I Wore A Dress
Daphne Scholinski
Order on Amazon
“This memoir is both a powerful indictment of Gender Identity Disorder treatment and an inspiring testament of one person’s survival.”
Conundrum
Jan Morris
Order on Amazon
“Except that appearances, as James Morris had known from early childhood, can be deeply misleading. James Morris had known all his conscious life that at heart he was a woman.”
Right Side Out
Annah Moore
Order on Amazon
“Through candid vignettes and vivid recollections, transgender author Annah Moore shares with us some of the all-time lows and highs on her journey through life.”
The Testosterone Files
Max Wolf Valerio
Order on Amazon
“Max Wolf Valerio crafts a raw, gripping, and poetic account of life before, during, and after injecting testosterone as part of his transition.”
Queerly Beloved
Diane Anderson-Minshall and Jacob Anderson-Minshall
Order on Amazon
“Imagine if, after fifteen years as a lesbian couple, your partner turned to you and said, ‘I think I’m really a man.’ What would you do? How would you respond?”