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  • Published: 1 September 2018
  • ISBN: 9780807088357
  • Imprint: Beacon Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 208
  • RRP: $36.00

At the Broken Places

A Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces



While transgender issues have received national attention in recent years, there is a belief that many people are either completely on board or completely opposed to the idea. Yet many families with transgender children experience a range of emotions including love, loss, acceptance, rejection, confusion, fear, and disagreement. In At the Broken Places, a parent and transgender son disclose how they navigated this emotionally complex middle ground and wrestled with their differences as Donald Collins underwent hormone treatment, a legal name change, a double mastectomy, and a total hysterectomy to better align his body with his gender identity. As a parent, Mary Collins didn't agree with her trans son's decision to physically alter his body although she supported his right to realize himself as a person. Raw and uncensored, each explains their emotional mindset at the time: Mary felt she lost a daughter; Donald activated his "authentic self." They both battled to assert their rights. A powerful memoir and resource, this book offers a roadmap for families in transition.

In this collaborative memoir, a parent and a transgender son recount wrestling with their differences as Donald Collins undertook medical-treatment options to better align his body with his gender identity.

As a parent, Mary Collins didn’t agree with her trans son’s decision to physically alter his body, although she supported his right to realize himself as a person. Raw and uncensored, each explains her or his emotional mindset at the time: Mary felt she had lost a daughter; Donald activated his “authentic self.” Both battled to assert their rights. A powerful memoir and resource, At the Broken Places offers a road map for families in transition.

  • Published: 1 September 2018
  • ISBN: 9780807088357
  • Imprint: Beacon Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 208
  • RRP: $36.00