Freeing Finch
by
Ginny Rorby
Order:
USA
Can
Starscape, 2019 (2019)
Hardcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
O
ur heroine in Ginny Rorby's
Freeing Finch
is a transgender girl, Morgan Delgado, Junior, called Finch by a neighbor. Her mother has died, and her father had already left after Finch's eighth birthday. He couldn't deal with his son's being a daughter.
B
efore Finch's mom died of cancer, she married again, so Finch now lives with her stepfather Stan and his new wife Cindee. They are kind enough but seem to see her gender struggle as a passing phase, which it's not. Their Pastor believes that '
gender identity disorder
' can be cured.
F
inch is close to her elderly neighbor Maddy and helps her with her animal rescue work. One of these critters is a stray dog, Ben, who's slow to accept his saviors. Eventually, though, Ben bonds with Finch. She is determined to find her father, which only leads to further heartbreak. She does make a friend at school, Sherri, who has her own issues, but also has Finch's back.
F
reeing Finch
is a well told coming of age story. It portrays what it's like to be a transgender girl in a sensitive manner. What I especially liked about it, though, is the author's portrayal of Finch's growth in understanding the people around her, seeing the good in them even when their attitudes and beliefs are quite different from her own.
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