Bookish Review: Middlesex

Middlesex is the story of a (fictional) man who was born with a chromosomal defect that caused his genitalia to appear feminine. He was raised as a girl until he was a teenager and began hitting puberty. He traces his family history, noting the sordid past that lead to his being born a hermaphrodite. He tells his story, of how it was discovered that he was really a boy and how he was almost forced into surgery to make him physically a girl, to match his upbringing. He runs away from home when he understands who he really is, and the book also chronicles his struggles with relationships--after all, who can understand?

The book is very well-written, absorbing, and compelling and shows a very interesting view of an unusual life.