She knew the truth about herself. The world wasn't ready to hear it.
In 1960s America, being different wasn't just difficult—it was dangerous. When a teenage girl realizes she's a lesbian, she faces an impossible choice: embrace her authentic self or conform to society's crushing expectations. Desperate to fit in, she attempts heterosexuality with devastating consequences.
But acknowledging her truth becomes her salvation. Coming out gives her unexpected courage to shatter another barrier: defying the male-dominated medical establishment to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. In lecture halls and hospital wards at a time when women medical students are rare and barely tolerated, she fights for both her education and her right to exist as herself.
The 1970s also brought second-wave feminism and promises of liberation, yet the reality remains treacherous. Being openly gay still means risking everything—career, reputation, safety. Finding love proves its own battleground, with each relationship teaching hard lessons about trust and vulnerability when the world refuses to recognize that life as legitimate.
This is the story of one woman's refusal to disappear. Of choosing authenticity over acceptance. Of discovering that the courage to be yourself can transform not just your own life but pave the way for those who follow.
"The author writes with a sense of blunt reality and warm humanity"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Fast-paced, immersive, and weighty memoir that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the hardships of being true to yourself."
—BookLife Reviews
