The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is the first book for the Read Harder Challenge that really stretched me and pulled me into an unfamiliar realm. Ebershoff’s novel tells the story, based on a real marriage, of a man who transitions to being a woman with the help of his wife. Even though I know transgender people, I don’t know much about the experience of being transgender. The novel’s time period was different for me as well. I usually stick to more contemporary settings and writing styles. After the first few chapters, I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to get into the story, but it didn’t take long to pick up.
Ebershoff’s detailed writing brings foreign lands and the 1920s-1930s era to life. His descriptions also make real the pain of finding yourself in a relationship where you realize you, or your significant other, are not the person you thought they were. You quickly figure out how the story will probably end, but it explores the limits of love and devotion in a way that pulls you in and keeps you there. Anyone can relate to questioning identity and taking steps toward becoming your true self, within a relationship or as an individual. Being inspired by a true story, the book definitely made me want to know more about what really happened. I put the movie (releasing March 1) on hold at my library, because I’m interested in seeing how the on-screen visuals match up to Ebershoff’s beautiful imagery.
Other books I considered for this task: Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques
*You can find the editable form for the Read Harder Challenge (like the one I used above) at this link. I’ve also found good suggestions for each task on the Goodreads group for the challenge.
Disheveled Shelf 