For today i am a boy

Summary: At birth, Peter Huang is given the Chinese name juan chaun, meaning powerful king. He is the exalted only son in a family of daughters, the one who will finally fulfill his father's dreams of Western masculinity. But Peter has different dreams: he knows that he is a girl. Peter and his sisters'elegant Adele, shrewd Helen and Bonnie the bon vivant'grow up in a house of many secrets, then escape the confines of small-town Ontario and spread from Montreal to California to Berlin. Peter's own journey is obstructed by playground bullies, masochistic lovers, Christian ex-gays and the ever-present shadow of his father. Sensitive, witty and stunningly assured, Kim Fu's debut novel is a coming-of-age tale like no other, one that lays bare the costs of forsaking one's own path in deference to a road mapped out by others. Both lyrical and unflinching, For Today I Am a Boy shows us an unforgettable struggle: the story of a woman in the body of a Chinese-Canadian man'and marks the emergence of an astonishing new Canadian literary voice. Praise for For Today I Am a Boy "A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read." 'Steven Galloway, author of The Cellist of Sarajevo "For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change'of becoming, of overcoming'and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace." 'Justin Torres, author of We The Animals "A sly, engaging read, this is a portrait of people so determined to fit in, they will hide their secrets by any lie necessary. Kim Fu's debut is smooth yet spicy, a book you'll have to talk about." 'Billie Livingston, author of Cease to Blush and One Good Hustle.