Top Shelf Productions will publish the graphic novel Transitions: A Mother’s Journey, by Elodie Durand, a nonfiction account of a mother coming to terms with her child’s gender transition. The graphic novel is based on the experiences of biologist Anne Marbot after she learned that the child she had raised as a daughter is a transgender man. As her son, Alex, begins his transition, she too must come to understand and accept what is happening, and as she does, she gains new insights into herself as well. The graphic novel was originally published in French and was translated by Evan McGorray. The 176-page, full color paperback with French flaps will be published on November 7, 2023 with an MSRP of $19.99.
“When I met Anne, there was no resource in France for parents living through the transition of their child,” Durand said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Anne felt powerless to understand or support her son. She had this desire to bear witness for others, to find a way to help.”
“The world needs this book now more than ever,” said Top Shelf senior editor Leigh Walton. “Friends and family who are navigating the gender transition of a loved one may first be struck by feelings of confusion, concern, or even grief. Those feelings are real and a place to start — but the story must not end there. By documenting this journey in public, warts and all, Anne Marbot and Élodie Durand offer a helping hand to allies everywhere and a beautiful path from disbelief to passionate support.”
Durand is also the creator of Parenthesis, a graphic memoir of her own experiences with a tumor-related epilepsy. The book received the Revelation Prize of the Angouleme International Comics Festival after it was published in French; Top Shelf published an American edition in 2021 (see “Top Shelf Announces ‘Parenthesis’”).
Source: ICv2
