ONE DAY I'LL GROW UP AND BE A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

Being different in America.

In an affecting memoir, novelist Maxwell recounts years of frustration, rage, and sadness as she and her husband fought for support—from schools, neighbors, and the community—for their transgender child. The couple was living in the idyllic New Hampshire town of Gilford when their son was born. The difficult infant grew into a “brilliant but angry” young boy, whose tantrums and behavior problems finally led to a diagnosis of autism. The Maxwells faced bureaucratic obstacles in finding special services at school, and soon more challenges arose: their son chose pink sneakers and opted for a witch’s costume on Halloween, inciting malicious gossip in a town that held to rigid gender conventions. Even more shocking was the full transition that their child made in first grade. She was now Greta, and, for the conservative community, she was a problem. Maxwell testifies to responses that ranged from condescending to belligerent, as parents and school administrators focused on bathrooms for transgender students, eligibility for sports teams, and controversy over adopting policy to end bullying. At one point, the superintendent ruled that the word transgender could be used only in private conversation with Greta, but never in a public setting. Interwoven with Greta’s story is the plight of Maxwell’s younger, gay brother, who attempted suicide because of the homophobia he faced. To protect their daughter from that mental anguish, the Maxwells planned to move to Montana, which they thought would provide a more accepting environment—until they discovered that the state, like many others, offered no protection against hate crimes, school bullying, or public accommodations for transgender individuals. With bigoted legislation being enacted nationwide, the Maxwells stayed in New Hampshire. They found a welcoming town, where, at last, they can watch their growing girl thrive.

A disheartening chronicle of intolerance.