Helpful Score: 1
Beautiful story of love. The love a parent has for a child. Even when they are different and have battles to face in the world. A book of fairy tales and secrets. Well written with a subtle lesson for all of us to remember to be accepting and not fearful and to not let our fear of things that are different make us ungracious or unloving. Claude is the youngest of 5 boys born to his parents Penn and Rosie. But he wants to wear dresses when he is 5. He wants to be a she. And so his family is accepting and permissive and begins the journey with Claude/Poppy of gender dysmorphia. They move to Seattle where no one knows Poppy used to be Claude and Poppy becomes strong, fierce, and funny with a group of close girl friends. But no one knows she is really a he. Until the secret comes out in 5th grade. And then the fallout and how Claude/Poppy and the family figure out how to rise to the top again. I cried in parts. It is tender and fierce and loving.
