Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2024 Parish shares their journey to personal acceptance and joy in this gentle memoir. Parish focuses not only on the gendered expectations of society at large but also on how gender doesn’t need a fixed destination; the journey can be to find home within yourself rather than in static presentation. Like Maia Kobabe in Gender Queer (2019), Parish shares how not having the vocabulary or positive examples of being transgender or nonbinary to draw from prolonged the confusion and sense of wrongness they felt. Finding terms to describe their experience led to a sense of community and helped them choose their new name—experiences that were lights in the darkness. Parish's art effortlessly conveys the variety of styles they tried as well as their discomfort and awkwardness when attempting to fit others’ expectations. Additionally, there is a striking spread of a lady and a knight symbolizing Theo’s realization that they can claim their own name. The pastel color palette contributes to the soft, friendly air of the narrative. Overall, an earnest and intimate portrait that adds nuance to any collection of queer nonfiction. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.