The All of It

Cadance Bell is the human equivalent of Halley’s comet: a once-in-a-lifetime blazing talent.

Benjamin Law

Our lives are multiple, our stories of ourselves never-ending, and yet when it comes to being a transgender person, there is this idea that we have one sole identity: trans. In The All of It: A bogan rhapsody, Cadance Bell gives us multitudes; she’s not just a 30-something transwoman, she’s a true bogan Australian, raised on coal mines, Catholic guilt and greasy chips. Bell has an incredibly easy and visceral way of writing; it’s blunt and evocative but also satisfying and transportive, her descriptions of childhood oozing with vivid and haunting imagery. There is always humour interwoven with the bleak, grotesque and painful, and that style of punching through trauma with self-deprecating jokes is such a familiar and relatable part of the queer experience. This memoir is raw, vulnerable, authentic and full of heart. Bell doesn’t falter in her honesty, describing guilty wet dreams, stealing her mother’s bras, furtively buying teen girl magazines, and secretly dressing in femme clothing while tripping on LSD. Bell beautifully paints the anguish of a budding transwoman tormented by gender dysphoria, self-loathing and shame, finally blossoming into the gender euphoria that is to exist authentically as herself. Both tragic and uplifting, The All of It provides readers with a small insight into one bogan Australian’s trans experience, for fellow adult trans people and allies alike.

George Banach-Salas, Books and Publishing

Growing up in Mudgee, NSW, Bell knew from a young age that she was transgender, but didn’t find the language that captured her identity until adulthood. Her laugh-out-loud funny and often moving memoir recalls a lively country town childhood, navigating restrictive gender norms and getting through puberty while surreptitiously trying on her mum’s bras and buying Dolly magazine in Bi-Lo. In her 20s she survived depression and dysphoria, before discovering trans communities online, finding both happiness and love. Bell is witty and candid, and I suspect we’ll read a lot more from her. If you loved Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy, you’ll love this too.

Sian Cain, The Guardian

Truly the book all of Australia needs to read in 2022.

Star Observer

This is a beautiful, generous gift to the world . . . I can't even begin to say how much I loved this memoir.

Haley Scrivenor, bestselling author of Dirt Town

Madcap and bruised and bruising and gorgeous! And fuking funny! A perfect book.

Beejay Silcox

Described as “a wild coming-of-gender memoir like no other”, The All of It captures Cadance Bell’s journey throughout many stages and moments of her life. The memoir tackles key themes such as growing up in Mudgee in the 1990’s, family dynamics, experiences with addiction, violence, gender dysphoria, kindness, and acceptance. Bell’s memoir is truly an experience. She manages to take the reader on a dual journey: hers, and their own. It was confronting, tragic, humorous, captivating, and hopeful all at the same time. A feat which is not always achievable, and is a huge testament to Bell’s storytelling ability. As a speed reader, I had to tell myself to read this book slowly in order to properly experience it, and I am very glad that I did so. The All of It is one of those rare books that must be consumed slowly in order to both understand and appreciate what is occurring throughout its pages. It is a book for everyone, whether they are going through a similar journey, or experience, as Cadance or not. It emphasises that we should be kind to others, as we really do not know what others are going through. There are so many elements within the book that the reader might relate to no matter their beliefs, identities, or feelings. Cadance’s story is life changing: not only for her, but also for the reader. It truly is one of those books that will allow every person who reads it to be able to take something away from it. All-in-all, The All of It: A Bogan Rhapsody is an unmissable read, and I am telling, not recommending, telling you to read this book. I promise you will not regret it.

Phoebe Barsi, Opus Magazine

A boisterous, rollicking, laugh out loud ride through working class Australia. Cadance Bell has a magic gift for capturing personalities in their true vernacular. Her dialogue leaps off the page and shakes you about. The portraits of her knock-about parents – her mother, a tough-as-nails nurse who's seen it all and her father, a mine worker – are unforgettable. The various snapshots of growing up in rural Australia resonate as unmistakably authentic. This may be a trans memoir, but readers will see themselves and their family in its pithy descriptions of Australian life. Ultimately, The All of It is a funny, big-hearted memoir of growing up Australian, one that also deftly explains the pain and mental anguish of feeling you don't belong in your body. An absolute winner.

Chris Saliba, North Melbourne Books

Cadance Bell is the most joyful human being; a masterful and crafted and gifted storyteller.

Gill Hicks AM MBE

An incredible book . . . A game changer for regional queer people.

Kia Handley