Review 152: She’s My Dad by Iolanthe Woulff

She’s My Dad
by Iolanthe Woulff
Outskirts Press
ISBN 9781432743772
Copyright © 2009
$19.95 Paperback
$8.99 Kindle E-dition
469 Pages

At first glance, the title of Iolanthe Woulff’s book, She’s My Dad,  may seem confusing, but don’t be alarmed.  Once you learn what the book is actually about, the title will make complete sense.  There’s always been a great debate surrounding the old saying, “Write what you know.”  The subject matter of this book is obviously something Mrs. Woulff knows a lot about because she has lived it.  Mrs. Woulff is a transexual woman.

Being a gay male myself, I was more open to considering this book for review.  I have never known a transexual, to my knowledge, but society has always pushed them into the GLBT community (gay, lesbain, bisexual, transgendered).  Remember the childhood song, “One of These Things is Not Like the Other?”  Many transexuals go on to lead heterosexual lives, but I think that since many begin by experimenting with cross dressing, it’s very natural for them to be more accepted among others who are also different and who have faced as much ridicule for just wanting to be who they are. Our community is much more accepting, so it’s nice to have them as a part of it.

But it’s this ridicule and prejudice that becomes a leading theme in Mrs. Woulff’s book. The lead character, Nickie Farrell, was born and later graduated from college as a man.  Now a woman, she returns to her alma mater, extreme liberal Windfield College in Northern Virginia, to teach English.  Hoping to keep a low profile and enjoy her “new life” as a female, her desires are soon crushed by a lesbian student reporter named Cinda Vanderhart.  Cinda’s suspicions of Farrell are raised when she notices that Nickie has the exact same unique eye color as a young male waiter, named Collie, in town.

Now, it’s not uncommon for you to have the same eye color has several people in your neighborhood, but the reason Nickie and Collie’s eyes are immediately noticeable is because each eye is a different color (as shown on the front of the book).  I love this character trait as sort of being a unique metaphor to the dual life led by Woulff’s characters in one way or another.

Woulff embraces that classic “A-ha!” theme that we’ve all read in books or seen in films before. There’s always a nosy reporter or gossipy neighbor who sets out to expose the politician or stranger in town for who or what they really are. Often, there’s a twist in the end that spoils all preconceived notions for the audience and the characters or the tables are turned when the lack luster “secrets” are revealed and no one is really impressed; the reporter or neighbor is the fool or seeks redemption.  In this case, Cinda is the latter, but this story goes deeper than just exposing Nickie’s secret.

Collie’s mother is dying and confesses to him that he was the result of an affair she had with college senior Nick Farrington many years ago.  Distraught over her death and her secret, Collie seeks guidance from a devout Christian coworker named Robin Thompson, who has also been helping Cinda with her investigation into the possibility of Farrell and Collie being related. Obviously, the two story lines collide but not before Woulff pens in a bomb threat on the college by a former U.S. Ambassador which only builds on the intensity of the novel.  As family is reunited and lives hang in the balance, the story comes to quite the conclusion for all.

Despite the fact that this book is over 400 pages (most know I hate reading anything over 300), this is probably the first time I’ll say I was pleasantly and constantly entertained throughout the full course of the book. My biggest complaint in fiction is that it is often drawn out too much, but Mrs. Woulff has created an array of characters and storylines here that remained interesting enough to hold my full attention.  The book is indeed heartfelt, probably for both the reader and the author, and one where hate is ultimately defeated.  Keep an open mind and you are sure to put this book down as a better person and a smarter individual in society.

As for the book itself, I have nothing but praise for Outskirts here.  It is a thick book, but the list price is not too outrageous as we have seen before in self-published books of this size.  The cover design by Joleen Wouk is brilliant and my only complaint would be the white lettering against the gray background.  It almost reminded me of those Amish romances I’ve seen on shelves lately with muted tones of green, white, and gray. The interior is nicely formatted and very professional, making this a book Mrs. Woulff should be very proud of.

But like a person, a book’s physicalities are just that – what’s on the outside.  It’s what’s on the inside that really matters.  Mrs. Woulff’s book should serve as a reminder that yes, we can change what’s on the outside but the honesty inside is forever. As the tagline of the book says, “Hate destroys everything. Don’t let it destroy you…”

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