 we've all got problems
the message of this book seems to be that transsexual people are more than just transsexuals. they are people. yes, thank you mr. rees. thank you for beating that message into me for 184 pages. seemingly without direction, he pounds out the events of his life, giving the reader the name of every friend along the way. oh, and thanking each of them, again and again. a look into a life with conflict, but we all have problems. read it if you somehow think homosexuals are the same thing as transexuals, but by and large an un-enlightening book.
 TO SIR WITH LOVE...
This autobiographical account of the author's life focuses on gender identity issues which appear to have governed most of his life. Anatomically a female, though somewhat androgynous in appearance, the author, named Brenda at birth, always felt as if he were a male trapped in a woman's body. This created many difficult life situations for him as he was growing up. The difficulties compounded themselves when "Brenda" reached puberty, as one may well imagine.Never feeling that he belonged, yet wanting to be like other people, he struggled alone with these gender identity issues for many years. At one point in his young adult life, he was so depressed over his situation that he voluntarily entered a psychiatric hospital. His autobiographical account is a bird's eye view of the suffering that society can inflict on a human being who means no harm to anyone, and who is only trying to find a way to fit in with that society. It was not until he realized that he was not alone, that there were others like him, that he began to realize that he could be helped. It was as a mature adult that he made the transition from female to male and became "Mark". Only then did he start feeling a little more comfortable in his own skin. Yet, despite dressing as a male, hormone therapy, and surgical modification, he still had issues, as society would only legally recognize the gender assignement made at birth. This would forever consign him legally to being a female, placing him in a sort of legal limbo. The book is often poignant in that the author's desire for having a normal life is palpable. He really just wants to be like everyone else and do the things that everyone else does, such as, get a job commensurate with one's education and abilities, fall in love, get married, and have a family. Yet, all this seems to have eluded him, because of the gender identity issues which made it so difficult to attain his desired goals. Even after having become an elected official in the town where he grew up, the taunts of local children still plague him. Society may have come a long way in its understanding of these issues, but it, undoubtedly, has a long way to go. This book addresses issues that are in the social forefront today, but the author, though clearly intelligent, has a prosaic style of writing that does not fully engage the reader. His is a voice with which to be reckoned, however, due to the dearth of literature on transexualism and its attendant, ancillary social issues.
 Recommended for Trannies and Their Families
I found Dear Sir or Madam while looking for appropraite reading for my mother that was both heartfelt and honest, but not grim or especially detailed regarding surgery, etc. This autobiography paints a very accurate portrayal of growing up male, though confined to a female body. This is good reading material for people just beginning their transition, their friends and family, and supporters. In the wake of many other books that leave us feeling pitied, you will be nothing shy of uplifted and celebratory of Mark Rees' journey and conquest.
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