And She Was

Dara Baker lives in a small town in upstate New York with her mother Millie. Dara just graduated high school and is about to enter the professional tennis circuit. She has to play enough tournaments to get ranked so she can work her way up.

When her mom is at work, Dara searches the house for her birth certificate so she can get a passport. But neither of the two people she sees listed as her parents is called Millie Baker. When her mom gets home, Dara confronts her and is shocked to find out that Millie is transgender and is biologically her father.

Reeling, Dara sets off on a road trip in search of her grandparents with her best friend Sam. A trip that will garner many answers, some she doesn’t even know to ask.

Verdi’s book is a beautiful book about being true to yourself. It takes Dara on an emotional journey as she comes to realize that what Millie did was the right thing for both of them. Read this book – especially if you do not have any trans folks in your life.

Verdi, Jessica. (2018). And She Was. New York: Point.