This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

The sources, dubious and dubiouser, also recommended missionary position, and she was happy to oblige. The same website also suggested putting a wooden spoon under the bed to conceive a girl, and she did, then felt like an idiot and threw it on the dresser then thought Penn would mock her-and rightly-if he saw it there so stashed it the only place close at hand: under the bed. She’d also quietly served salmon to her husband for lunch and, though of course they were adults, chocolate-chip cookies, German folklore prescribing red meat and salty snacks for men in need of heirs and afternoon delight for those desirous of daughters. The Talmud, her mother reported, was very clear that many sons were born to a man whose bed was facing north, and though Rosie doubted it sincerely, along with most of what the Talmud offered, she couldn’t take the chance. The leap from two to four felt astronomical, so their parents had turned to the heavens.Īll of which was why, despite being a woman of considerable science, a disciple of logic and reason, a person grounded firmly in the right half of her right mind, and besides all that a doctor who knew better, Rosie Walsh was spending the fifteen minutes immediately preceding the kickoff of Claude dragging her bed from its spot on the wall into the middle of the room so that it faced east-west rather than north-south.

Then they debated and deliberated and decided just one more and therefore got twins-Rigel and Orion-who were no doubt going to voice hostility about their names when they became older than four, especially when Rigel found out he was named after the constellation’s toe, but who for the moment were too little and too loud to care. First Roo was born, all pink and sticky and loud and miraculous. They had decided to hyphenate because-and in spite-of all the usual reasons but mostly so their firstborn could have his grandfather’s name without sounding too presidential, which seemed to his parents like a lot of pressure for a six-pound, two-ounce, brand-new tiny human. Here's a letter I wrote to early readers about why this story is so hard to tell and why I did it anyway.But first, Roo was born. Here's a piece I wrote for the New York Times' Modern Love column about my own journey with my own kid. If they're not your bag, keep looking.Īnd 2) gender nonconforming is an excellent way to be. Two notes:ġ) These are just starting points. Below are some resources for families with gender nonconforming children.

There are so many resources now for anyone who wants to learn more about gender identity in general and transgender issues in particular. If you're interested, give a yell and I'll be in touch. It is sometimes possible for me to join your bookclub via zoom. With the caveat that there are spoilers, here's a link to discussion questions for after you've read the book. Thank you for choosing This Is How It Always Is for your book club!

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel