How wonderful that the Transgender Day of Visibility falls on the day of the Easter holiday this year! In honor of the occasion, I decided to post Vanda's review of my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books) that she wrote for Amazon.
Vanda, author of Juliana Series
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fanscinating Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2018
All the Bible stories from your childhood suddenly jump to life in Janet Mason's new novel. They. The manner in which they are presented I found to be a lot of fun.
The story is about a woman named Tamar who lives in ancient times, around the same time as Joseph who had the cool colorful coat. Tamar and her family live in tents; she is obsessed by her camel, Aziza, who she keeps reminding everyone is not a camel, but a dromedary because she only has one hump. Her friends and family don't seem to care a fig about the difference, but it is very important to Tamar. She and her dromedary have a special relationship as important to her as her relationships with her friends. Aziz is so important to Tamar that she has her sleep inside, an action that will later bring her problems.
I, especially, enjoyed discovering Biblical characters though their stories and name. I was part of the discovery. I'm watching people from a different time period living their lives and suddenly I realize their talking about someone I know. As a young teenager I was in search for answers. so I read the Bible cover to cover looking for those answers. I don't know that I found any answers, but I enjoyed the stories. The way the stories are told do not sound Biblical, they sound human.
The main character, Tamar, takes us through the whole book. She even dies and lives in the book as a spirt. Then she ends up in a womb until she is born again into a new life.
Gender is flexible in these Biblical stories. Although the people are as hung up about gender as we are—I guess we probably got this way because of them. The different genders appears. Tamar in her first life has an lesbian experience that she wanted to continue, but the other woman couldn't accept Tamar's favorite camels sleeping in the same hut. There were also intersex twins who lived their lives as males because this was the preferred sex.
You can also read an excerpt, written as standalone short fiction, in the online literary journal BlazeVOX15
Another excerpt is in the recent issue of Sinister Wisdom — the fortieth anniversary issue
A different excerpt is also in the aaduna literary magazine (this excerpt was nominated for a Pushcart Prize)
Text excerpts from THEY and my introductions presented at UUCR (Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration) can be clicked on below.
To read the text to the "Descent of Ishtar" and the introduction (where I talk about ancient Babylon), click here.
To read the text to "Forty Days And Forty Nights" as well as my introduction, click here.
THEY is available where books are sold online, from your local bookstores and library.
For more information on THEY, click here:
They: A Biblical Tale of Secret Genders: Mason, Janet: 9780999516430: Amazon.com: Books
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