Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man (City Lights/Sister Spit)

I loved his honesty and vulnerability in his writing. I would highly recommend this for anyone transitioning or anyone who has someone in their life who is going through transition. It is well written with a balance of exposed trauma but the relief of appropriate and timely humor. Thomas gives me hope and inspires me to take the hard and necessary steps to work through my own transition. Thank you for giving me a glimpse into the journey ahead, we've walked some of the same paths my friend. Can't wait to read Amateur!

Man Alive is a powerful book; it isn’t afraid; it travels in light and sound to the depths of emotion, to the heart. McBee allows himself to be alive—to stay awake to complexities, to feel them, move through them, and to heal. In doing this, he shows his readers that this is possible. For me, this book raises questions: What does it mean to grow up? What does it take to trust yourself? How do we wake up to our lives? What do we do once we have? Thomas McBee’s heart is so big, one hundred hearts are not enough to hold his love. This book is a lesson in compassion and truth-telling. I want to give this book to everyone I know.

Very touching and insightful.

Prepare to be moved. This is a book that uncovers those little moments of humanity, the ones that bind us all together regardless of how we present ourselves to the world or the thoughts inside our heads, and uses them to paint a clear portrait of what it means to be alive. Relentlessly optimistic, McBee guides you through a journey to which anyone can relate or understand. As a result, this book transcends its subject matter, and is a great read or gift for anyone who is facing any type of big hurdle in life, and needs a little reassurance that all the pieces will be put together in a way that makes sense.

This is one of the most beautiful memoirs I have ever read. So brutal and full of feeling. Tracks the violence of family, both physical and relational, how narratives can trump and drown one another and still, Thomas McBee finds space in his narrative for love. Space for love that is not redeem, space that does not mean "everything turns out okay in the end," but space that suggests that we continue to pursue our questions, our hearts, even when everything is at stake. And even when everything won't survive it. Thank you for such a generous work.

haven't really got into yet, sure I will enjoy it when I start

A smart, searing, exquisitely crafted book from one of the best new voices I've read in a very, very long time. I taught this book in my senior capstone class for undergraduate creative writers this fall, & the students adored it (of course). We learn so much from McBee -- not only about how to be a man or how to navigate violence or how to wield a beautiful sentence, but about how to be human. This is a gorgeous, wise, utterly necessary book. We are so very lucky to have this voice in the world.

A gripping, honest story of a life lived in pursuit of personal truth. McBee presents his own story as only that, in no way attempting to speak for the experiences of anyone but those unique to him. Broad in scope, a story about America, family, and coming to terms with one's past. He holds up for us to admire the beautiful contradiction that is understanding that gender is a construct, but wanting to construct one's own gender none-the-less.

Curioso porque curiosa es la vida que cuenta, pasar de mujer a hombre, encima boxeador o wrestler es un tema original, pero se le va el tema de las manos, resulta repetitivo y acabas perdiendo el interés.Se puede leer pudiendo asistir a temas interesantes como el decidir el baño en el que entrar, sus intentos de traducir las miradas, etc.

Good book

I loved this book. The author writes with enormous sensitivity, courage and insight. I appreciate how he's shields the dignity of children who've been sexually abused through selecting a few powerful words, rather than detailing descriptions of suffering. I went to see Thomas McBee speak recently, which confirmed my impression that he's someone with immense integrity. This, coupled with his perspective as a trans man, makes him a compelling voice. Not only on masculinity, on living compassionately and consciously too.

an unflinching report from the heart

Strong and clear voice sharing a profound and difficult story.