Sunhead: Graphic Novel

My Thoughts:

This is a love letter to those readers who find romance and friendship in books more than in people. This is for the readers who are obsessed with certain fictional characters and find the fictional world a much brighter place than reality. Although this takes place in Israel, this still feels like an American story. 

Rotem, the main character, is a Sunhead, or a fan of the international paranormal vampire series "Sunrise." Yes, it is a nod to Twilight, but the character uses this devotion to then tell the story of finding a friend IRL. I know this is supposed to be a coming of age romance, but the story is a little thin. Rotem's inner thoughts and motivation are a mystery to me. I could not get clues from the graphics and coloring either, so the story feels unfinished. The art is warm and light, but I just feel like there is more to be explored.

From the Publisher:

Rotem is a Sunhead, a fan of the international smash hit Sunrise series of books and films. She’s obsessed with the story’s love interest, Edmund, and no one else gets it. But all that changes when she befriends Ayala, a shy classmate and avid book lover who’s as swept away by the romance as she is. The two become fast friends, but as their deep connection grows stronger, Rotem starts to wonder: What exactly draws her to this story?

Alex Assan’s debut, Sunhead, is an earnest coming-of-age graphic novel that explores how the stories we love help us understand our friendships, our relationships, and ourselves.

Publication Information:

Author, Illustrator: Alex Assan

Publisher: HarperAlley (May 7, 2024)

 

The Dos and Donuts of Love

 My Thoughts:

Shireen is depressed after her breakup with her girlfriend and her best friend is having a blast with her cousins in Bangladesh. Donuts and The Great British Bake Off are not enough to keep her from wallowing. That is until she gets the email that she will be a contestant in the first Junior Irish Baking Show.  This is a way to showcase her family's struggling donut shop, You Drive Me Glazy, and fulfill her dream of bringing Bangladeshi desserts to the Irish audience.

Adiba Jaigirdar is the author of The Henna Wars so she still brings forward queer characters who stand up to racial bullying with a little humor and a lot of gumption to stay true to their culture and do a good job. 

From the Publisher:

“Welcome to the first ever Junior Irish Baking Show!”

Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop.

Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen.

As the competition intensifies , Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more— including potential sabotage—if she wants a sweet victory!

Publication Information:

Author: Adiba Jaigirdar

Publisher: Felwel and Friends (June 6, 2023)

The Battle Drum

 

My Thoughts:

This is book 2 of the Ending Fire Trilogy. The first book The Final Strife had so much potential, but the problem with trilogies is that the second book has to act like a bridge so basically nothing really happens except building the bridge between the first and last book. 

It bring in new elements, new worlds, new issues. There is death, murder, separation, large surprises, but Sylah and Jond are the main characters. Without Sylah, Anoor as a character cannot hold the story line with the people left behind. Those characters that are left behind, minus Anoor (specifically Kwame, the Wife and Hassan) really kept me invested in the Empire. This book could have done without Anoor, although she promises to be a large part in book three. I hope as a character she becomes more investment-worthy, but I really do not see the relationship with Sylah as anything beyond lust. Even Sylah's last decision in this book is disappointing and immature. 

If like me, you really understand the deep love and hurt between Sylah and Jond, then Battle Drum keeps things exciting for a little bit. It has nothing to do with the non-cis, gender or pronoun issue, although there is a glossary of pronouns for characters at the end of this book.  It really has to do with the maturity of the relationship. For example, I think the relationship between Loot and his husband Fayl was very deep. Loot's actions may be messed up, however, it is Fayl's compassion as well as his fierce loyalty despite his own misgivings that gives depth to this relationship. 

If I were to "sell" this book to students, I will probably wait until the last one comes out. This book cannot be a stand alone and it does not end in a way that would sustain reluctant readers to wait for the third book. 

From the Publisher:

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens’ Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn’t commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.

Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision: Should she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?

Hassa’s web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on the trail of crimes in the city. Her search uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire’s past and present. Now she must guard both her heart and her land.

The three women find their answers, but not the answers they wanted. The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world.

And it sings a song of war.

Ready we will be, when the Ending Fire comes,
When the Child of Fire brings the Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum.
Ready we will be, for war will come.

Publication Information:

Author: Saara El-Arifi

Publisher: Del Ray (May 23, 2023)

Bio: Saara El-Arifi is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife, the first part of a trilogy inspired by her Ghanaian and Sudanese heritage. She has lived in many countries, had many jobs and owned many more cats. El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Over the years she has perfected her tall tales into epic ones. She currently resides in London, UK, as a full-time procrastinator.

Belle of the Ball

 

My Thoughts:

Asian, queer, super jock in a love triangle and who needs tutoring from an old friend set up by her girlfriend. . . yes, this high school love is complicated and stereotype bending, but I'm here for that! What a fabulous world where all the -isms and -phobias are non existent. This is really just friendship that got lost and found again. . .and love. 

I cannot say this enough, but I am so for the Asian jock who breaks down all of the model minority stereotypes (she is not meek, she is not small, and she does well in school, but still needs tutoring in English). Chloe Kitagawa, our superjock, also has a smoking hot, head cheerleader and academic superstar girlfriend, Regina Moreno. In comes scrawny school mascot Hawkins who has been pining over Regina from behind her mascot mask. When Hawkins asks Regina out, the fun begins.

From the Publisher:

High-school senior and notorious wallflower Hawkins finally works up the courage to remove her mascot mask and ask out her longtime crush: Regina Moreno, head cheerleader, academic overachiever, and all-around popular girl. There’s only one teensy little problem: Regina is already dating Chloe Kitagawa, athletic all-star…and middling English student. Regina sees a perfectly self-serving opportunity here, and asks the smitten Hawkins to tutor Chloe free of charge, knowing Hawkins will do anything to get closer to her.

And while Regina’s plan works at first, she doesn’t realize that Hawkins and Chloe knew each other as kids, when Hawkins went by Belle and wore princess dresses to school every single day. Before long, romance does start to blossom…but not between who you might expect. With Belle of the Ball, cartoonist Mariana Costa has reinvigorated satisfying, reliable tropes into your new favorite teen romantic comedy. 

Author: Mari Costa

Publisher: First Second

Publication date: March 21, 2023

Fence: Striking Distance (audiobook)

 My Thoughts:

Where is this magical school where young men are so in tune with their emotional truth and where friendships and same sex couplings amongst teammates are celebrated and honored? How lovely.

This is an audiobook from NSYNC this summer. If you are not a listener of this free summer service, be sure to join next summer. 

From the Publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Cox is the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion who dreams of getting the proper training he could never afford. After earning a place on the elite Kings Row fencing team, Nicholas must prove himself to his rival, Seiji Katayma, and navigate the clashes, friendships, and relationships between his teammates on the road to state championships -- where Nicholas might finally have the chance to spar with his golden-boy half-brother. Coach Williams decides to take advantage of the boys' morale after a recent victory and assigns them a course of team building exercises to further deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, several hilariously bad dates, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart. The first installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat's critically acclaimed Fence comic series and boasts original cover and interior art by Johanna The Mad. 

All Boys Aren't Blue

 

My Thoughts:

This memoir-manifesto is a series of personal essays about accepting multiple identities in multiple circles, finding or redefining manhood and masculinity, learning to love oneself and the privilege of being raised by a grandmother who demonstrates unconditional love, strength and acceptance. It is obvious that the author has done a lot of work and reflection. He offers up his story so that  other queer youth can see that light at the end of their own journeys.

This book has been banned across the nation. Don't let the bullies build up walls and fences to keep this away from teens that need it as a mirror, a window and a sliding glass door.

From the Publisher:

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

Author: George M. Johnson

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication date: April 28, 2020

To Strip the Flesh

 

My Thoughts:

This book is an older YA manga of six short stories that look at the idea of stripping away and finding truth through the reveal. The longest short story represented on the cover is about Chiaki who has always believed that he should be a boy and be able to go hunting with his dad. However, her mom's dying wish was to see Chiaki in a wedding dress so she tries to be a good daughter even if she struggles with her body, her breasts and even how the outside world sees her/him.

Chiaki has a YouTube station where she butchers the meat her father gets from hunting and it is easy to see the metaphor of Chiaki's own desire to strip away the outer layer of himself. He also has a very interesting relationship with his photographer who is even willing to marry Chiaki so that she can be the perfect daughter to her dying father.

I found this manga to be very philosophical, especially the "David in Love" short.

From the Publisher:

Chiaki Ogawa has never doubted that he is a boy, although the rest of the world has not been as kind. Bound by his mother’s dying wish, Chiaki tries to be a good daughter to his ailing father.

When the burden becomes too great, Chiaki sets out to remake himself in his own image and discovers more than just personal freedom with his transition—he finds understanding from the people who matter most.

Author: Oto Toda

Publisher: Viz Media LLC

Publication date: June 21, 2022

Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2)

 

Publication date: July 26, 2022

My Thoughts:

This book follows Blade of Secrets which came out in May 2021 and is probably a really good action/adventure/romance/girl power fantasy. I do not say this because I read the first book. I probably missed it when it came out on NetGalley. I have so many books in my queue that the publishers probably hate that I ask for their books, but lucky for me, they give it any way. 

No, the reason why I know that Blade was a good book is that I trust this author, Tricia Levenseller. I have her review of Warrior of the Wild here and it was a fabulous one and done read. She is another of the female fantasy writers that write from a female "bad ass" perspective for YA readers. I gobble this stuff up. Also, in Master, the author gives enough hints about the first book to know that it was a good read. Unfortunately, since I know that the characters made it out of the first book (because they are in the second book), I do not want to read it. However, if you have not read Blade of Secrets, please do before July 26, 2022 when this book comes out. Readers who do not want to commit to the three or more fantasy series like Sarah J. Maas' fabulous Throne of Glass series will enjoy these new one and dones or duology fantasy books. I appreciate that these authors are also pushing the envelope in diversity such that white, heteronormative is not the automatic go to in YA fantasy. There is a shift coming, yes? 

In this duology, although the 4 main characters are cisgender whites, there are LGBTQIA side characters and the society of this book does not balk. The main character also suffers from social anxiety, but a lot of this book is about Ziva, the main character, gathering the mental health tools she needs amidst war, trauma, romance and magic-ing. Her love interest, the mercenary Kellyn, also is able to help her prioritize love, family and hope, which is a nice shift. 

I was going to put more ladders (next books to give voracious readers) here, but I read a lot of fantasy, so just look here for recommendations. This book followed a book that I had to abandon because I just could not accept the premise, so I was looking for a devour worthy fantasy to recenter myself. Despite not reading the first book, these characters grabbed me and I could read this book without reading the first one. Consider me re-centered and ready to go. 

From the Publisher:

In Master of Iron, the conclusion to Tricia Levenseller’s exciting Bladesmith YA fantasy duology, a magically gifted blacksmith with social anxiety must race against the clock to save her beloved sister and stop a devastating war.

Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister’s life.

When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn’s capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she’s been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.

The forge has always been Ziva’s safe space, a place to avoid society and the anxiety it causes her, but now it is her prison, and she’s not sure just how much of herself she’ll have to sacrifice to save Kellyn and take center stage in the very war she’s been trying to stop.

A Venom Dark and Sweet (Book of Tea 2)

 

Publication Date: August 23, 2022

My Thoughts:

This duology is the follow up to A Magic Steeped in Poison. Ning, the main character, went to Dàxi to compete in the tea/magic competition in order to heal her sister who has been poisoned like many other innocents across the country by poisoned tea bricks. She also befriended Kang and his cousin the princess, but she is scheduled to be executed just when she is so close to finding out the source of the poisoned bricks and the antidote that her sister needs to survive.  Although she escapes with the princess  and saves her sister, at the end of the first book she is betrayed by Kang, the princess is forced out by Kang's father and Ning is being hunted by real soldiers and an ancient yellow serpent that is able to track her when Ning wields her magic. 

In this last book, the four girls, Ning, her sister Shu, the princess and her bodyguard/girlfriend Ruyi must travel the country to try and find allies loyal to the former emperor. A powerful evil is awake and Ning must decide who she can trust. She cannot battle the serpent alone and she needs help from those people she is trying to protect as well as those who have already betrayed her. 

Readers will speed through these two books, especially if they like fantasy, mythology, magic, friendship and action. Teachers just need to be prepared to lead students to the next read. If they liked this duology, send the readers to Six Crimson Cranes or Spin the Dawn, both by Elizabeth Lim. 

If readers are a little young for these books (violence, evil, LGBTQIA romance, death), they may want to try The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim.

From the Publisher:

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world.

The Midnight Girls

 

My Thoughts:

This sapphic romance book is more about passion, one-sided rivalry, jealousy, fear and competition than it is about romance, but it does have a satisfyingly non-sappy epilogue. 

What makes the relationship between Marynka (Midday), Zosia (Midnight) and Beatta (Morning) interesting is that not only are they all servants of three sister Witches, but that this rivalry and attraction between Midday and Midnight has been going on long before the two girls were chosen. Their intense connection, then, is fate. 

What does Marynka really want? What price is she willing to pay? What does Zosia really want? And what price is she willing to pay? Do both girls like the power that makes them into monsters? What will either of them do with their freedom? And what does Beatta want? 

The book slowly reveals their individual desires and ambitions while also sending them on a thrilling chase for Prince Josefʻs heart (literally - they need his heart pulled out of his body). Can they work together or do they end up killing each other? This was a pretty wild ride: witches, monsters, magic and holy swords, oh my. 

From the Publisher:

In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two wicked rivals secretly compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other.

Karnawał season is a time for mischief and revelry. For the next few weeks, all will be wintry balls, glittery disguises, and nightly torch-lit sleigh-parties.

Unbeknownst to the merrymakers, two uninvited girls join the fun. Zosia and Marynka are drawn to each other the moment they meet, until they discover they're rivals, who both have their sights set on the prince's heart. If one consumes a pure heart, she'll gain immeasurable power. Marynka plans to bring the prince's back to her patron in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.

Their ambition turns into a magical contest with both girls vying to keep the prince out of the other's grasp, even as their attraction to one another grows. But their attempts on his life draws the attention of the city that would die for him, and suddenly their escalating rivalry might cost them not just their love for each other, but both their lives.

Author: Alicia Jasinka

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication date: December 28, 2021

Fine: A Comic About Gender

 

Publication date: April 5, 2022

My Thoughts:

This comic starts with the author/ilustrator's own niggling question about gender and how gender is defined. As they went further into collecting stories from a diverse group of people in the American Midwest, Rhea moved from outsider researcher to insider participant. The initial question moves from a scientific curiosity to a personal quest for self. 

What I appreciate about this is that like the anthology Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words, this comic's power is in Rhea's ability to be a participant in their own truth seeking. This kind of honesty around grasping complexity, including going further into culture and diversity to further complicate simple answers is helpful for young students who are themselves trying to identify and define themselves beyond the binary markers that are set forth for them in the home, in the school, even in society.

As teachers, if we do not have a book like this or Growing up Trans in our classroom, the message we are sending is that it is not important. Even if we are well meaning and have just not thought about it or seen something like this as a gap in our classroom library, we are in fact making a statement.  As part of our social equity agenda as teachers, we need to diversify our bookshelves and bring forward stories that address more than just race. This is a great start. 

From the Publisher:

As graphic artist Rhea Ewing neared college graduation in 2012, they became consumed by the question: What is gender? This obsession sparked a quest in which they eagerly approached both friends and strangers in their quiet Midwest town for interviews to turn into comics. A decade later, this project exploded into a sweeping portrait of the intricacies of gender expression with interviewees from all over the country. Questions such as “How do you Identify” produced fiercely honest stories of dealing with adolescence, taking hormones, changing pronouns—and how these experiences can differ, often drastically, depending on culture, race, and religion. Amidst beautifully rendered scenes emerges Ewing’s own story of growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themself through art—and by creating something this very fine. Tender and wise, inclusive and inviting, Fine is an indispensable account for anyone eager to define gender in their own terms.

Perfectly Parvin

 

My Thoughts:

Parvin (PAR-veen) thinks that in order to get a date for homecoming, she needs to look less Iranian (body hair everywhere, including her toes, unibrow, curly hair) and more like the girls on the romance movies (quiet, hairless, straight hair, submissive). Despite her friends and her aunt in Iran telling her that she is enough as her passionate, outspoken self, but it takes her a while to figure this out for herself. When she gets dumped during orientation because her new summer boyfriend says she is too much, Parvin thinks it is because she is too loud, so she makes a plan to fix that. But when she later finds out that it is because she is Muslim and middle eastern and does not fit in to his church friends, MAGA group, she finally realizes that it is not anything she can change. By the time she realizes that, has she lost her two best friends? 

There is an ICE airport detainment scene that is a little scary,  but otherwise, this is an appropriate rom com for upper middle grades and YA. The queer relationships in this rom com are also healthy and accepting, even by the parents. That makes this cute and nerdy in a bassoon playing kind of way. 

From the Publisher:

Fourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.

Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped--only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she's humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems. If Parvin can get Matty to ask her to Homecoming, she's positive it will prove to herself and her ex that she's girlfriend material after all. There's just one problem: Matty is definitely too cool for bassoon-playing, frizzy-haired, Cheeto-eating Parvin. Since being herself hasn't worked for her in the past (see aforementioned dumping), she decides to start acting like the women in her favorite rom-coms. Those women aren't loud, they certainly don't cackle when they laugh, and they smile much more than they talk.

But Parvin discovers that being a rom-com dream girl is much harder than it looks. Also hard? The parent-mandated Farsi lessons. A confusing friendship with a boy who's definitely not supposed to like her. And hardest of all, the ramifications of the Muslim ban on her family in Iran. Suddenly, being herself has never been more important.

Olivia Abtahi's debut is as hilarious as it is heartfelt--a delightful tale where, amid the turmoil of high school friendships and crushes, being yourself is always the perfect way to be.

How to Become a Planet

 

My Thoughts:

Pluto Timoney rockets the reader into the black hole of depression and anxiety. The author refuses to let us breathe as the opening scene keeps literally pounding frantically to get to Pluto from the other side of the door.  I know that young readers will empathize with Pluto. That this is a powerful mirror, window and sliding glass door into mental health for readers that need this book is a given. 

For me as a teacher, though, the strength of the character writing put me in my feels and I could not erase my parental empathy with Pluto's parents. Whenever love is not enough as a parent, there is such an immense feeling of guilt and helplessness. I raised three kids that went through that black hole of adolescence and we all made it through fairly unscathed. However, this book just pushed me back in. 

The intentionality of the metaphor that threads through the book on "what is a planet" added to the character's  name and her connection to the new classification of Pluto being "not a planet" is a little too obvious in adult literature, but I think it really strengthens middle grade literature. This will be a great literature workshop pick for 7th grade. 

From the Publishers:

A Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021
One of The Nerd Daily's “Anticipated Queer Book Releases You Can’t Miss in 2021”
One of Lambda Literary's “May’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature”

The two most important things to know about Pluto Timoney:  (1) she’s always loved outer space (obviously); and (2) her favorite season is summer, the time to go to the boardwalk, visit the planetarium, and work in her mom’s pizzeria.

This summer, when Pluto’s turning thirteen, is different. Pluto has just been diagnosed with depression, and she feels like a black hole is sitting on her chest, making it hard to do anything. When Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move to the city—where he believes his money could help her get better—Pluto comes up with a plan to do whatever it takes to be her old self again. If she does everything that old, “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom. But it takes a new therapist, new tutor, and new (cute) friend with a plan of her own for Pluto to see that there is no old or new her. There’s just Pluto, discovering more about herself every day.

A Million Quiet Revolutions

 

Publication date: March 22, 2022

My Thoughts:

A coming of age, first queer love story told in verse about two small town trans young men characters, Oliver and Aaron. Their birth family names are never revealed as the book starts off with Oliver researching a story of two possibly trans soldiers from the American Revolution and the two characters who were best friends first and growing into love and realization that they are both trans take on the names of these two soldiers. 

The story is complicated from life in a small town, feeling like the only two queer youth, as well as the different cultures and family dynamics that they represent. How, when can they come out to their families? How do their families react? How do their families accept/reject this budding relationship? Everything is further exacerbated when Aaron and his family quickly move away from the community. Most of the novel in verse then moves to written correspondence, text messages and one sided conversations. 

This novel in verse is a great book if readers want to read about young, queer, multicultural love; family secrets; friendship; growing pains; small town dramas; American Revolution reenactments; queer history resources.

Although I do not publish these posts in the order that I am reading, a natural follow up if students are more interested in just the idea of trans, gender identity and questioning one's own identity, they may want to read the graphic novel Fine by Rhea Ewing (publication date Apr 4, 2022)

From the Publisher:

A modern love story, told in verse, about two teenaged trans boys who name themselves after two Revolutionary War soldiers. A lyrical, aching young adult romance perfect for fans of The Poet X, Darius the Great is Not Okay, and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe.

For as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, let alone young trans men, they’ve shared milestones like coming out as trans, buying the right binders―and falling for each other.

But just as their relationship has started to blossom, Aaron moves away. Feeling adrift, separated from the one person who understands them, they seek solace in digging deep into the annals of America’s past. When they discover the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers who they believe to have been trans man in love, they’re inspired to pay tribute to these soldiers by adopting their names―Aaron and Oliver. As they learn, they delve further into unwritten queer stories, and they discover the transformative power of reclaiming one’s place in history.

Further reading on trans history is included in backmatter.