Title: Dark and Deepest Red
Author: Anna-Marie McLemore
Date Published: January 2020
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Commentary:
This book is the only one I will include that is not specifically from a trans POV. However, the main character's love interest is trans, and he is a very important character. The author, Anna-Marie, identities as non-binary and is married to a trans man.
Let me start by saying that I FUCKING LOVE Anna-Marie McLemore's writing style. Their prose are rich and luscious and raw and beautiful. I don't know if I've read everything they've published, but it's something that I have strived to do. The worlds they create are gorgeous and magical, and all their stories include POC and queer rep.
Dark and Deepest Red is the novel of theirs that I've included in this recommendation book because it's genre best aligns with my personal interests: historical fiction with a dash of magical realism. And a trans-male love interest set in a medieval setting? Um, yes please!
This story interweaves three different POVs, and at first it's not clear how they are all connected and I'll admit that it takes a few chapters for the plot to take off. But trust me, it's worth it. Also, one head's up / minor spoiler: there is a moment when it looks almost certain that hate will win the day, but don't despair. McLemore gives her queers the happy ending that they deserve.
Synopsis (copied from GoodReads):
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.
Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva's feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever's history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there's more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
With McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.
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Trans Fiction: Book Recommendations
Non-FictionDo you like to read? Of course you do! Are you interested in reading trans #ownvoice stories? Well, if so, check out these book recommendations. Read the introductory chapter if you have recommendations of your own to add. Happy Reading!
