CACTUS COUNTRY A Boyhood Memoir

Zoë Bossiere gives a quiet, thoughtful performance of their memoir about their trans boyhood in an Arizona trailer park. Their stories of boyhood in the desert are full of contradictions: the ease of being known and understood as a boy by their friends and neighbors, and the alienation caused by teachers who tried to force them into a gender that didn't fit. Their narration is understated but emotional. Their voice is full of tenderness for their younger self, and the adult understanding they bring to stories of their childhood adds layers of depth to already vivid scenes. The skill and nuance with which Bossiere shares their particular trans story is a moving, much-needed counterpoint to the idea that everyone's gender follows a simple linear trajectory. L.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]