This tried to read like a documentary. There was an NPR context to the narrative, but this is a work of fiction. This is a story about a male to female gender change.
Dana is the main character and she didn't even have to change her name because - hey - it works both ways! When she was a he, she started dating a single woman (Allison) with a grown daughter and an ex-husband who was still stuck on her. Dana considered herself to be lesbian, but Allison considered herself to be straight.
The small Vermont town where Allison teaches 6th grade really freaked out about this change and the attempt at keeping the relationship together. I found that to be somewhat unrealistic, but perhaps I am somewhat sheltered in my liberal SE Portland neighborhood. They eventually break up and people stop giving Allison a hard time.
The most unrealistic part happens at the end though when Allison's ex husband, Will, falls in love with Dana. No freaking way. Will could not have moved from disgusted and repelled to hubba hubba in any time frame, let alone 6 months or so.
The things about me that make me feel feminine have nothing to do with skirts, soft sweaters or make up. This may be just a way I don't relate to someone who is transgendered. I imagine that Chris Bohjalian put a lot of effort into researching transgendered issues and threw the plot together as an afterthought.
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