My Sister, Selenis Leyva
My Sister, Selenis Leyva
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My Sister
How One Sibling's Transition Changed Us Both

Author: Selenis Leyva, Marizol Leyva

Narrator: Selenis Leyva, Marizol Leyva

Unabridged: 7 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/24/2020

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A powerful memoir by two sisters about transitioning, family, and the path to self-realization.

When Orange Is the New Black and Diary of a Future President star Selenis Leyva was young, her hardworking parents brought a new foster child into their warm, loving family in the Bronx. Selenis was immediately smitten; she doted on the baby, who in turn looked up to Selenis and followed her everywhere. The little boy became part of the family. But later, the siblings realized that the child was struggling with their identity. As Marizol transitioned and fought to define herself, Selenis and the family wanted to help, but didn't always have the language to describe what Marizol was going through or the knowledge to help her thrive.
In My Sister, Selenis and Marizol narrate, in alternating chapters, their shared journey, challenges, and triumphs. They write honestly about the issues of violence, abuse, and discrimination that transgender people and women of color--and especially trans women of color--experience daily. And they are open about the messiness and confusion of fully realizing oneself and being properly affirmed by others, even those who love you.
Profoundly moving and instructive, My Sister offers insight into the lives of two siblings learning to be their authentic selves. Ultimately, theirs is a story of hope, one that will resonate with and affirm those in the process of transitioning, watching a loved one transition, and anyone taking control of their gender or sexual identities.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kelly_Hunsaker_reads on June 19, 2020

Pride Month 2020 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️ Selenis and Marizol Leyva have written an emotionally moving and powerfully impactful memoir, told from both perspectives. This is a must read #ownvoices memoir if you want to try to understand the issues that happen when one sibling comes out as transgender. These two sisters......more

Goodreads review by Geneviève (thefreckledbookworm) on February 26, 2020

I feel like anything I will write will not do this book justice. This is an absolutely amazing #ownvoices memoir. I really appreciated the dual perspective, and both sisters admitted that some of their memories/perceptions might differ, and they decided to embrace those differences. Which makes this......more

Goodreads review by Belle on February 09, 2020

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review Told in dual perspectives, two sisters share their stories of one sister’s personal journey to figuring out her identity and fully living her truth as a trans woman. In this raw and unflinchingly honest memoir, Marizol Ley......more

Goodreads review by Katelyn on March 28, 2023

Great book with great writing, loved reading both of their perspectives!......more

Goodreads review by Becky on March 04, 2021

I came across My Sister: How One Sibling’s Transition Changed Us Both by actress Selenis Leyva and her trans sister Marizol when browsing my library’s website for books by trans people of color, and I ended up listening to it on audio, which is beautifully narrated by the two women. The book is a de......more


Quotes

"Selenis and Marizol Leyva have crafted a moving and searingly honest portrait of what it means to lead an authentic life. By turns poignant and anguishing, the story of Marizol's journey as she fights to become who she was always meant to be will capture your imagination, but it is the immutable bond between sisters that, in the end, will break your heart."—Kate Mulgrew, author of How to Forget and Born with Teeth

"The spellbinding fusion of two sisters' fierce voices gives us this groundbreaking memoir about the fight to love and be loved as we are. My Sister is a must read for our fractured era, evoking the power of bridges to knock down the barriers that separate us -- from ourselves and one another. It's fast-paced and beautifully real."—Jean Guerrero, Emmy-winning journalist and author of Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir

"Fiercely honest, this book not only chronicles a harrowing journey to self-acceptance; it also celebrates an interpersonal love that transcends the bounds of blood and family. Bold, raw, and courageous."—Kirkus

"[An] unsparingly candid story of one transgender woman's transition."
Booklist

"Heart-wrenching...What makes My Sister special is not only the way it addresses trans identities with such care -- educating readers in a respectful and non-condescending way -- but also the way it balances a trans person's journey with the corresponding journey that her family must take to embrace her as she is...An important, informative and captivating read that chronicles two strong women learning to love one another."
Associated Press