This article is about the novel. For the song, see I Am a Bird Now.
For Today I Am a Boy is a novel written by Kim Fu, published in 2014 by HarperCollins. It follows the life of Audrey Huang, a young transgender Chinese child, throughout her childhood and adolescence in Fort Michel, Ontario, and adulthood and transformation in Montreal, Quebec. The novel is named after the Anohni and the Johnsons song of the same title.
First edition
Plotedit
A baby is born to the Chinese-Canadian Huangs in Fort Michel, Ontario; assigned male and the name Peter at birth.
Playing with her three sisters, Adele, Helen, and Bonnie, she understands early on that she is a girl and aspires to embody the femininity her sisters are easily allowed. She struggles in her relationship with her father, a dictatorial, patriarchal man who is committed to eradicating his family's Chinese heritage and shaping her into an "ideal Western man."[1][2]
At age 18, Huang moves away from home and to Montreal, where she works in restaurants and leads a lonely life. She has affairs with two older women, the first an abusive mother of a casual friend, and the second a Christian evangelist trying to purge herself of lesbianism.[3]
The book ends with her joining her sisters in Germany, and her true name being revealed: Audrey.
Receptionedit
For Today I Am a Boy received several accolades and critical praise. The book was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award and winner of the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction. It was also a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and was longlisted for Canada Reads.[4]The Globe and Mail praised Fu's depth of character development for minor characters, writing "Fu’s eye for the tribulations of the jocular bully, Chef, and other supporting characters is perhaps her greatest strength."[3] She also received praise for her care in telling the story of an immigrant family with a transgender child. The National Post writes, "In lesser hands, For Today I Am A Boy could easily veer into the didactic, a catalogue of Valuable Lessons and thinly veiled disdain for old ways of gender, of culture, of family. But it’s not. It’s just that everything is hard for everyone through the entire book, in a way that is somehow not exhausting but fascinating."[1]
^"Boy Trouble : 'For Today I Am a Boy,' by Kim Fu". The New York Times. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
^ abTrilby Kent (January 31, 2014). "For Today I Am a Boy: A novel through the story of a transgender Chinese-Canadian child". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
^"Bio | Kim Fu, Writer". Kimfu.ca. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
This article about a novel of the 2010s with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender theme is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
today, this, article, about, novel, song, bird, novel, written, published, 2014, harpercollins, follows, life, audrey, huang, young, transgender, chinese, child, throughout, childhood, adolescence, fort, michel, ontario, adulthood, transformation, montreal, qu. This article is about the novel For the song see I Am a Bird Now For Today I Am a Boy is a novel written by Kim Fu published in 2014 by HarperCollins It follows the life of Audrey Huang a young transgender Chinese child throughout her childhood and adolescence in Fort Michel Ontario and adulthood and transformation in Montreal Quebec The novel is named after the Anohni and the Johnsons song of the same title First editionPlot editA baby is born to the Chinese Canadian Huangs in Fort Michel Ontario assigned male and the name Peter at birth Playing with her three sisters Adele Helen and Bonnie she understands early on that she is a girl and aspires to embody the femininity her sisters are easily allowed She struggles in her relationship with her father a dictatorial patriarchal man who is committed to eradicating his family s Chinese heritage and shaping her into an ideal Western man 1 2 At age 18 Huang moves away from home and to Montreal where she works in restaurants and leads a lonely life She has affairs with two older women the first an abusive mother of a casual friend and the second a Christian evangelist trying to purge herself of lesbianism 3 The book ends with her joining her sisters in Germany and her true name being revealed Audrey Reception editFor Today I Am a Boy received several accolades and critical praise The book was a finalist for the PEN Hemingway Award and winner of the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction It was also a New York Times Book Review Editors Choice and was longlisted for Canada Reads 4 The Globe and Mail praised Fu s depth of character development for minor characters writing Fu s eye for the tribulations of the jocular bully Chef and other supporting characters is perhaps her greatest strength 3 She also received praise for her care in telling the story of an immigrant family with a transgender child The National Post writes In lesser hands For Today I Am A Boy could easily veer into the didactic a catalogue of Valuable Lessons and thinly veiled disdain for old ways of gender of culture of family But it s not It s just that everything is hard for everyone through the entire book in a way that is somehow not exhausting but fascinating 1 References edit a b S Bear Bergman January 24 2014 For Today I Am A Boy by Kim Fu Review National Post Retrieved 2015 05 14 Boy Trouble For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu The New York Times January 31 2014 Retrieved 2015 05 15 a b Trilby Kent January 31 2014 For Today I Am a Boy A novel through the story of a transgender Chinese Canadian child The Globe and Mail Retrieved 2015 05 14 Bio Kim Fu Writer Kimfu ca Retrieved 2015 05 14 nbsp This article about a novel of the 2010s with a lesbian gay bisexual or transgender theme is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it See guidelines for writing about novels Further suggestions might be found on the article s talk page vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title For Today I Am a Boy amp oldid 1165792325, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
